India and Pakistan blame each other as ceasefire violated hours after agreement
The deal had aimed to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
India and Pakistan have accused each other of violating a ceasefire just hours after it was agreed following talks to end the most serious military confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
The ceasefire had been expected to bring a swift end to weeks of escalating clashes, including missile and drone strikes, triggered by the mass shooting of tourists last month that India blames on Pakistan – which denies the charge.
But multiple explosions were heard in two large cities of Indian-controlled Kashmir hours after the countries agreed to the deal.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said late on Saturday “there had been repeated violations of the understanding arrived between the two countries” and accused Pakistan of breaching the agreement.
“We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility,” he said at a news conference in New Delhi.
Mr Misri said the Indian army was “retaliating” for what he called a “border intrusion”.
In Islamabad, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry blamed Indian forces for initiating the ceasefire violation. The ministry said Pakistan remains committed to the agreement and that its forces are handling the situation with responsibility and restraint.
“We believe that any issues in the smooth implementation of the ceasefire should be addressed through communication at appropriate levels,” the ministry said.
The first word of the truce came from US President Donald Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform that India and Pakistan had agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire: “Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a speech on Saturday that his country agreed to the ceasefire in the larger interest of peace in the region and hoped all the outstanding issues with India, including the long-running dispute over the Kashmir region, would be resolved through peaceful dialogue.
Mr Misri said the head of military operations from both countries spoke on Saturday afternoon and agreed “that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, and in the air and sea”.
However, hours after the agreement, explosions heard by residents in Srinagar and Jammu in Indian-controlled Kashmir were followed by blackouts in the two cities. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
