CNN —
India and Pakistan engaged in the most intense fighting in decades with four days of escalating conflict that included fighter jets, missiles and drones packed with explosives. It ended almost as abruptly as it began.
New details reveal how a flurry of phone calls and diplomacy ultimately brought about a truce between the nuclear-armed neighbors and historic foes.
And while the Indian and Pakistani accounts differ on some details, both sides agree the breakthrough started to come on Saturday afternoon.
The ceasefire between Islamabad and New Delhi, which according to Pakistani officials had been in the works for several days, was agreed to after a “hotline” message was sent from a top Pakistani military official to his Indian counterpart, India’s military said Sunday, offering new details about how the unexpected deal was struck.
In a briefing Sunday, India’s director general of military operations said that as officials were huddling Saturday “to wargame” the early morning’s strikes from Pakistan, he received a message from his counterpart in Pakistan seeking communications.
Pakistan’s military confirmed Sunday that it reached out, but said it contacted intermediaries regarding a ceasefire with India. It did not specify which countries, although a Pakistani official involved in the talks told CNN it was the United States making the important calls Saturday.
During a call, held at 3:35 p.m. local time, a ceasefire agreement was reached, according to India’s director general of military operations, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai. He said a further call would be held to “discuss the modalities that would enable the longevity” of the agreement. Pakistan has not confirmed whether or not a call was held, but the official involved in the diplomatic efforts said Pakistan had received unspecified “assurances” from the US that India would abide by the ceasefire.
The latest details of how the agreement was reached, which was first announced by US President Donald Trump, give the clearest picture yet of how Islamabad and New Delhi directly communicated to agree on an end to the spiraling conflict amid growing international pressure.
