Ceasefire till tomorrow: Pak

New Delhi: The directors-general of military operations of India and Pakistan spoke to each other over the hotline, their third conversation since the cessation of hostilities was announced on May 10, and decided to continue the confidence-building measure to reduce the alertness level along the border. Agence France-Presse in a report quoted Pakistan’s foreign minister Ishaq Dar as saying that both sides had a conversation on Thursday and “it is a ceasefire until May 18”.

The Indian Army, which neither confirmed nor denied the AFP report, said in a statement on Thursday night: “Further to the understanding between the two DGMOs on May 10, it has been decided to continue the confidence-building measure so as to reduce the alertness level. As the situation develops further, we shall intimate you.”

There is, however, no clarity on why the two sides decided to continue the confidence-building measure again, as both sides had already reached an understanding on it, and why the ceasefire was until May 18. Dar said the country’s military had agreed to extend the ceasefire with India until Sunday during a phone call between the

two armies , AFP said. “He told parliament that both sides had ‘military to military communications’ on Wednesday and Thursday, and ‘today we had a conversation and it is a ceasefire until May 18’,” the report said. India had conveyed that any future act of terror would be considered an “act of war” against the country and would be responded to accordingly.