New Delhi: India on Saturday strongly condemned the cross-border drone activity and shelling by Pakistan, just hours after both countries had agreed to de-escalate heightened military tensions along the border following the Pahalgam terrorist attacks. Emphasising that New Delhi takes the matter “very, very seriously”, the government urged Islamabad to address the situation with utmost seriousness and responsibility.
“For the last few hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding reached earlier this evening between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan. This is a breach of the understanding agreed upon earlier today,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, warning of strong retaliation by Indian forces.
He added, “The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations, and we take these violations very seriously. We call upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address them and to deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility.”
According to Misri, the armed forces are maintaining a strong vigil on the situation. They have been “given instructions to respond firmly to any repeat violations along the international border as well as the Line of Control”.
Earlier today, the Foreign Secretary announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to cease all firing and military operations on land, in the air, and at sea, effective from 5 pm on Saturday. The government stated that the talks were initiated by Pakistan and held at the level of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both countries.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also confirmed the development, welcomed the move, and thanked US President Donald Trump for what he described as facilitating the peace initiative. He expressed hope that it would mark a new beginning toward resolving issues in the region.
However, within hours of the truce announcement, the Pakistan Army violated the understanding with drone attacks on Srinagar, other parts of Kashmir, Jammu, and several locations in Rajasthan and Punjab, along both the Line of Control and the International Border.
