The exchange marks a rare instance of direct military communication amid heightened tensions between the two countries that follows recent tensions that saw the two South Asian neighbours on the brink of full-scale war.
Read More: Pakistan and India agree to immediate ceasefire
Pakistan and India agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire on Saturday following days of intense military exchanges that raised fears of a full-scale conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
The announcement was first made by US President Donald Trump and later confirmed by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ceasefire came after missile strikes, drone incursions, and retaliatory operations across the border.
Tensions flared after a deadly April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), that left 26 civilians dead. India blamed Pakistan-based elements without providing evidence; Islamabad rejected the claim.
India responded by closing the Wagah border, revoking Pakistani visas, and suspending the Indus Waters Treaty—moves Pakistan labelled as an “act of war.”
Read More: Pakistan never requested ceasefire: DG ISPR
By May 6–7, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, claiming to have downed five Indian jets, including Rafales, and intercepted 77 Israeli-origin Harop drones.
The US played a central role in facilitating backchannel diplomacy. Secretary Rubio and Vice President JD Vance held talks with senior leaders from both countries, including PMs Shehbaz Sharif and Narendra Modi, as well as top defence and intelligence officials.
Following Trump’s announcement, both countries suspended military activity across land, air, and sea, though allegations of ceasefire breach were also reported from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).