The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan held a phone conversation on Monday, according to the Indian Army, as New Delhi reopened airports and stock markets in both countries rallied following a ceasefire that halted several days of intense cross-border fighting last week.
There were no reports of explosions or projectiles fired overnight, with the Indian army saying Sunday was the first peaceful night along their border in recent days.
Saturday’s ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump, followed four days of intense exchanges of fire as the nuclear-armed arch rivals targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, resulting in the death of dozens of civilians.
Trade A Big Reason For Ceasefire?
Leaders of India and Pakistan were “unwavering”, and the US “helped a lot”, Trump said on Monday, adding that trade was a “big reason” why the countries stopped fighting.
“We are going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan…and India. We are negotiating with India right now. We are soon going to negotiate with Pakistan,” he said.
Pakistan has thanked the US for brokering the ceasefire while India, which opposes third-party involvement in its disputes with Pakistan, has not commented on Washington’s role.
The discussion between the military operations chiefs focused on the ceasefire, local broadcaster CNN-News18 reported, citing top government sources. It said curbs imposed by the countries on each other remained in place, including the suspension of trade and closure of their borders.
The Indian army said details of the talks would be shared soon. The media unit of the Pakistani military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Operation Sindoor
The military confrontation began on Wednesday, when India said it launched Operation Sindoor — strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following an attack by Islamist terrorists in Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 men — mostly non-Muslim tourists and all males. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan.
Islamabad denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation. It said the targets hit on Wednesday were civilian sites.
Hotline Message
India’s military sent a “hotline” message to Pakistan on Sunday about what it called its neighbour’s ceasefire violations the previous day, flagging New Delhi’s intent to respond to further such incidents, a top Indian army officer said.
A spokesman for Pakistan’s military denied any violations.
“In spite of some minor damage, all our military bases and systems continue to remain fully operational,” India’s director general of air operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, told a media briefing.
Airports Reopened
On Monday, India reopened 32 airports it had shut during the clashes, with the Airports Authority of India saying in a statement they were available for civil operations. Some schools remained closed.
Pakistan had reopened its airspace on Saturday.
Visitors were kept out of an airport in the border city of Amritsar shortly after the announcement, a Reuters witness said.
Dharmendra Singh, 34, a driver in the city sacred to Sikhs, said there was no fear among residents, though the situation was not as serious as in the northern city of Jammu.
“It’s over now … it’s good to see the city coming back to its glory,” he said.
Markets Soar
Pakistan’s international bonds rallied sharply, adding as much as 5.7 cents in the dollar, Tradeweb data showed.
Late on Friday, the International Monetary Fund approved a fresh $1.4-billion loan and also the first review of its $7-billion programme.
Pakistan’s benchmark share index closed up 9.4% on Monday, while India’s blue-chip Nifty 50 index closed 3.8% higher in its best session since February 2021.
In Beijing, the foreign ministry said China, which also controls a small slice of Kashmir, was willing to maintain communication with both its neighbours, and play a “constructive role in achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” and maintaining peace.
India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in Kashmir that began in 1989, but Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to separatists.
Some in the region remained concerned despite the ceasefire.
“It is still scary,” said Padam, a traveller in a train from Jammu to New Delhi.
“After blasts all over the city (Jammu), I am scared. I am going to stay in Delhi till I am sure the agreement is binding on Pakistan,” added Padam, who declined to give his second name.
(With inputs from Reuters)
