Ceasefire (b)reached-OxBig News Network

Hours after Pakistan reneged on an understanding on pausing hostilities with India, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Saturday night that instructions had been issued to the armed forces to deal “strongly” with any such violations.

At a media briefing, Misri said, “In the past few hours, Pakistan has carried out repeated violations of the understanding arrived at to pause the hostilities.”

“The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations, and we take very, very serious notice of these violations,” the Foreign Secretary said.

The understanding to pause the hostilities was announced around 6 pm in New Delhi by Misri and through a statement posted by the US State Department on its website.

Misri said, “There have been repeated violations of the understanding arrived at earlier this evening between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.”

This is a breach of the understanding. The armed forces have been given instructions to deal strongly with any instances of violation along the International Border as well as the Line of Control.

India also called upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility. The armed forces are keeping a close watch on the situation.

This evening, there was a massive attack by Pakistan across Punjab, Rajasthan and J&K using artillery guns and armed drone missiles, a senior government official said.

India announced a pause in the hostilities after the DGMO of Pakistan called his Indian counterpart seeking an end to the conflict.

The pause announced today was a military understanding and not a ceasefire, sources said, adding that India’s punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack, would remain in place.

The militaries had worked out an understanding to stop firing and military action. However, India’s measures announced against Pakistan on April 23 would remain effective, the sources said.

Terrorism would not go unpunished and India’s resolve against it remained firm, the sources said.

Earlier in the evening, Misri had stated that the Pakistan DGMO called up his Indian counterpart around 3.30 pm.

Misri said, “It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and the sea with effect from 5 pm (IST) today”.

Instructions had been issued on both sides to give effect to the understanding, Misri said, adding that the two DGMOs had been tasked with talking again on May 12 at noon.

The sources said the decision to stop the firing and military action between India and Pakistan was worked out directly between the two countries.

They contradicted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims, saying, “There was no decision on holding talks on any other issue at any other place.”

In the afternoon, Rubio had posted on X, “I am pleased to announce the governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.”

Nearly 45 minutes before Misri made the formal announcement in New Delhi, US President Donald Trump posted on X that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire. Trump said, “After a long night of talks mediated by the US, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire.”

The US said in the past 48 hours, Vice-President JD Vance and Rubio had engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir and National Security Advisers Ajit Doval and Asim Malik.