Islamabad, May 12, 2025: Pakistan and India conducted the first round of Director General Military Operations (DGMO)-level talks via a military hotline on Monday, signaling a cautious step toward de-escalation after weeks of heightened tensions that brought the two nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of war.
Sources confirmed that the direct military communication took place as part of the ceasefire implementation mechanism agreed upon following intense cross-border hostilities earlier this month.
The rare DGMO-level engagement follows the announcement of a full and immediate ceasefire on Saturday, which was brokered with the help of U.S. diplomatic intervention. The announcement was made by U.S. 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 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The recent flare-up was triggered by a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. India swiftly blamed Pakistan-based groups for the incident, although no concrete evidence was publicly shared. Pakistan strongly denied the allegations.
In retaliation, India took several aggressive steps, including closing the Wagah border crossing, revoking Pakistani visas, and suspending cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty — actions Islamabad decried as provocative and tantamount to acts of war.
In response, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos on May 6–7, during which it claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets, including Rafales, and intercepted 77 Israeli-origin Harop drones in retaliatory operations.
The United States played a key role in defusing the crisis through backchannel diplomacy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance engaged directly with senior leadership in both capitals, including Prime Ministers Shehbaz Sharif and Narendra Modi, as well as key defence and intelligence officials.
Following the ceasefire declaration, military activity along land, air, and maritime borders was suspended. However, reports of minor ceasefire violations have surfaced from both sides of the Line of Control (LoC), underscoring the fragile nature of the truce.
Monday’s DGMO hotline contact is expected to continue in subsequent rounds to discuss mechanisms for monitoring the ceasefire, preventing miscommunication, and facilitating crisis management. Officials say the talks are a crucial step toward reducing the risk of renewed hostilities and rebuilding military-to-military confidence.
