Pak has violated bilateral understanding reached this afternoon: Govt sources

Pakistan has violated the bilateral understanding reached this afternoon to immediately stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, government sources said on Saturday night.

This came hours after India announced the understanding following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries teetering on the edge of full scale war.

The sources said firing from the Pakistani side was reported in Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Drones were also seen in the Pir Panjal area.

The decision to stop military action by India and Pakistan was first made public by US President Donald Trump in a surprise announcement in a social media post while claiming that the talks between the two sides were “mediated” by the United States after which “India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.”

Top government sources, however, clearly said that the outcome was the result of a direct engagement between the Indian and Pakistani sides and that Islamabad agreed to it with “no pre conditions, no post conditions and no links to other issues.”

In a short announcement after Trump’s remarks, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the directors general of military operations of India and Pakistan agreed on the understanding during a call this afternoon.

“The Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called the Director General of Military Operations of India at 1535 hours IST earlier today,” Misri told the media at around 6 PM.

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“It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian Standard Time today,” he said.