India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire following days of rising hostilities, easing fears of an imminent conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The decision, which was made public on May 10, came after Pakistan reached out to India, according to official statements.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced on Saturday that both sides had agreed to stop all military activity after a request for dialogue was initiated by Pakistan. The breakthrough followed mounting tensions, which had pushed both countries to the brink of a serious escalation.

Sources revealed that the turning point came after "Operation Sindoor," when Pakistan’s National Security Advisor and the head of its Air ISI, Asim Malik, attempted to establish communication with Indian NSA Ajit Doval. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly made it clear that India would only agree to a ceasefire if it was done entirely on Indian terms.

Over the past few days, Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were in regular discussions with their US counterparts regarding the emerging security situation. The two kept Prime Minister Modi continuously informed about the progress of talks.

Despite US involvement in parallel discussions, officials emphasized that the ceasefire was a direct outcome of talks between India and Pakistan, without mediation from any third country. In fact, it was the Pakistani Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) who made the first formal contact, initiating the crucial call to the Indian DGMO.

The conversation between the two DGMOs took place at 3:35 PM IST on Friday. By mutual agreement, both countries decided to cease all military actions—across land, air, and maritime zones—starting from 5:00 PM IST the same day.

Orders to implement the ceasefire were swiftly issued by both governments. The two DGMOs are expected to reconnect on May 12 at noon to assess the implementation and stability of the agreement.

Reaffirming India’s position, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar stated that the ceasefire was the result of direct bilateral engagement. “India and Pakistan have reached a shared understanding to suspend hostilities. However, India remains steadfast in its uncompromising stance against terrorism in every form,” he said.