Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India, reached after a dangerous military escalation earlier this month, remains in effect without any expiry date, senior officials from both countries confirmed on Sunday—dispelling media speculation that the truce would lapse this weekend.
Rumors of a May 18 deadline emerged after Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told the Senate that the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) from both sides had agreed to extend the ceasefire during a May 14 conversation. Several media outlets interpreted this as a temporary extension, fueling uncertainty.
However, officials from both countries have since clarified that the ceasefire—brokered on May 10 through intense U.S. diplomacy led by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Saudi backing—remains open-ended.
“There is no expiry date to the break in hostilities, as reaffirmed in the DGMOs interaction of May 12,” an Indian official told reporters, firmly countering the narrative of an imminent breakdown.
Though the Pakistan Army has not issued an official statement, a diplomat familiar with the matter confirmed that the ceasefire remains in force and carries no set time frame. “The purpose of the DGMOs’ discussions was to make the ceasefire sustainable,” the diplomat added.
The May 10 truce followed the most serious cross-border escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals in over two decades—marked by cross-LoC shelling, drone incursions, and air force strikes that raised fears of a broader conflict.
Initial violations were reported within 24 hours of the truce, but military officials from both sides have since engaged in constructive dialogue. A critical call on May 12 between Pakistan’s Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah and India’s Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai focused on reaffirming commitments to avoid provocative actions. The two agreed to begin a phased withdrawal of forward troop deployments along the international border, aiming to return to a peacetime posture manned primarily by Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Force.
Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan confirmed that DGMOs have maintained periodic contact since May 10 and are working on a structured mechanism for long-term de-escalation.
While Islamabad sees the ceasefire as a window of opportunity for broader dialogue on long-standing disputes such as Kashmir and water rights, India’s position remains more guarded. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the truce as a “temporary pause,” and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned that “Operation Sindoor is not over yet … Pakistan is on probation.”
In remarks to Arab News, Pakistan’s military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry confirmed the ceasefire is holding and emphasized that any response to violations would be targeted and measured. “We never target civilians or civil infrastructure. Our response is always directed at the origin of any violation,” he stated.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, the DG ISPR warned that unresolved political disputes remain a flashpoint. “As long as India avoids meaningful dialogue on Kashmir, the potential for conflict remains,” he said.
Chaudhry also issued a stern warning against India’s recent move to suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty—a landmark World Bank-brokered agreement that has survived multiple wars. India blamed Pakistan for a deadly militant attack in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies.
“Their policy on Kashmir—of oppression and attempting to internalize it—is not working,” he said. “If India tries to stop our share of water, the consequences will be far-reaching. No one can deny Pakistan its rights under international law.”
