Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced that the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India are scheduled to hold another round of talks on Sunday, May 18, to explore further prospects for peace.
The upcoming discussion will be the fourth contact between the military leaders of the two nuclear-armed neighbors following a series of hotline conversations aimed at de-escalating tensions.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Dar stated that a formal dialogue process at a neutral venue will commence once the armed forces of both countries return to a state of normalcy. He reiterated that India had initiated hostilities and Pakistan responded with resolve, successfully downing the intruding Indian jets.
“We exercised patience until India crossed the red line by targeting the Nur Khan Airbase and other strategic installations on May 9,” Dar said, referring to the incident that led to heightened military exchanges.
He also confirmed that the United States had acknowledged no Pakistani F-16 was shot down during the conflict. On May 10, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio contacted Pakistan to convey India’s willingness to enter a ceasefire. Saudi Arabia also played a diplomatic role, with its foreign minister reaching out to Pakistan to support de-escalation efforts.
In their latest conversation on Thursday, Pakistan’s DGMO Major General Kashif Abdullah and India’s Lt General Rajiv Ghai agreed to maintain the current ceasefire and advance the peace process. This third round of talks follows US-brokered efforts to calm tensions, with initial contact between the DGMOs established on May 12.
Security sources confirmed the hotline communications and indicated that both sides are preparing for detailed discussions on the modalities of the ceasefire agreement in the coming days.
The renewed military dialogue is seen as a positive sign toward stabilizing relations between the two countries following weeks of confrontation.