India-Pakistan Ceasefire 2025: Key Developments and Strategic Shifts

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Eighteen days after a terror attack in Pahalgam, J&K, triggered an Indian military strike and four days of intense conflict with Pakistan, both nuclear-armed nations agreed to cease hostilities and halt military action from 5 pm on May 10.

India-Pakistan Ceasefire 2025 Latest News

After three days of intense hostilities, India and Pakistan reached an “understanding” to stop all military action and firing.
The announcement was made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on May 10, 2025.

Official sources emphasized that the decision was a bilateral agreement, not mediated by any third party.
India clarified that the ceasefire would not impact the punitive actions taken in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

US President Donald Trump claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire after overnight negotiations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani leaders.
Rubio said both nations agreed to begin broader talks at a neutral venue, a claim India later refuted.
- Despite US claims, Indian officials emphasized that the ceasefire was a bilateral understanding with no foreign mediation, consistent with the 1972 Simla Agreement.

The recent India-Pakistan military confrontation, the most intense in 20 years, has concluded.
However, the nature of engagement between the two countries has shifted significantly.

Since 2014, India has moved to dismantle the framework that allowed Pakistan to exploit nuclear deterrence and cross-border terrorism.
Key steps include:
- Crossing the LoC post-Uri (2016)
- Striking deep into Pakistan during Balakot (2019)
- Revoking J&K’s special status
- Attacking terror camps in West Punjab (2025)
- Suspending the Indus Waters Treaty

The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and deep strikes inside Pakistan mark a new posture: India is prepared to hit core areas if provoked by terror.
Talks, if they occur, will likely include demands to renegotiate the Indus treaty and revise the engagement framework set during India’s weaker 1990s phase.

Although U.S. initially adopted a hands-off approach, it re-engaged as hostilities escalated.
U.S. National Security Adviser Marco Rubio facilitated calls between Delhi and Rawalpindi.
Still, India and Pakistan demonstrated the ability to manage escalation directly — a shift from the heavily mediated past.

Past ceasefires and backchannel negotiations (e.g., 2004–2007, 2021) have failed due to political instability in Pakistan and internal military-civilian rifts.
The rise of Gen. Asim Munir in 2022 hardened Pakistan’s stance and derailed earlier initiatives.

India’s broader national power has increased, but military superiority over Pakistan remains limited.
Achieving operational dominance is crucial for treating terrorism as an “act of war” and deterring future provocations.

India may need to build links with Pakistani civil society and political elements to reduce military dominance and promote peace.
Large conflicts often cause internal shifts in Pakistan — whether this latest one weakens or strengthens Gen. Munir’s grip is still unclear.

For the first time in years, Indian cities experienced the consequences of modern warfare, including drone strikes and long-range attacks.
The trauma of urban warfare could prompt reflection on the long-troubled state of India-Pakistan relations, even after 75+ years of independence.