India and Pakistan agree to an immediate ceasefire after days of escalation

May 10, 2025
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India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire after days of military escalation, deadly cross-border attacks, accusations and counter accusations, had raised acute concerns that the two nuclear-armed neighbours would engage in an all-out war for the fifth time since 1947.

But violations of the truce were reported later on Saturday as explosions rang out across parts of Indian-administered Kashmir.

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India and Pakistan agree ceasefire: What does it mean?

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Military officials from both countries had spoken to each other and agreed that all fighting would stop at 17:00 Indian time (11:30 GMT) on Saturday, bringing a halt to all firing and operations by land, air, and sea. This followed heavy overnight exchanges Friday into Saturday.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the two military chiefs would speak to each other again on May 12.

“Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

The announcement had met relief and joyous scenes by residents in both countries and in the areas of disputed Kashmir that each administers.

But just hours after the ceasefire was announced, explosions were heard across the city of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to Omar Abdullah, chief minister of the federal territory. “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar,” Abdullah posted on X.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Lahore, Pakistan, said, “People are welcoming the ceasefire, but we are also reminded how precarious it is; ceasefire violations are already happening across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region.”

“We’ve been hearing from local sources that there has been an exchange of fire in multiple locations in the Kashmir region, and there are some projectiles that have entered the Pakistani airspace, as well”, he said.

“We’re also hearing the loud explosions in Srinagar, similar to what was heard early Saturday and in the afternoon. Air sirens are all across, and there’s a power shutdown,” journalist Umar Mehraj told Al Jazeera from Srinagar.

“I can see projectiles flying, projectiles in the sky. It’s very unclear if they are missiles or air defence intercepting these attacks. Similar reports of the explosions are being heard in Baramulla and Jammu,” said Mehraj.

Electricity was cut off across multiple localities, adding to the confusion. With no official clarification on the nature of the blasts, some residents described feeling “abandoned and unprepared”.

“One of the blasts was so powerful it made the walls tremble. Authorities are not clarifying what is going on; we do not have any shelters, nor did we hear any sirens. We do not know what to do. There is only fear,” one Srinagar resident told Al Jazeera.

Internationally mediated

The ceasefire appears to have been mediated by international actors, but there are conflicting reports as to which countries played a crucial role.

US President Donald Trump claims it was the US – he was first to declare it on Truth Social post: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE”.

“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” he wrote.

Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC, noted, “There are questions about why the US did announce first. What sort of leverage does it have over India and Pakistan? We do know that it was a multilateral attempt to get a ceasefire. We do know, as well, that the United Kingdom has just signed a major trade deal with India, so it would also have great sway in this. Still, the US appears to be taking it further.”

However, Dar told broadcaster Geo News that Pakistan and India had agreed to a “full-fledged” and “not partial” ceasefire, adding that three dozen countries were involved in the diplomacy that secured it.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement also includes plans for broader talks at a neutral venue, which conflicts with a statement published on social media by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that says, “There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place.”

Indian soldiers in Kashmir — Indian army soldiers stand guard in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, May 10, 2025 [Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo]

Broader Issues

Amid the cessation of hostilities, India and Pakistan have also agreed to a broader dialogue on various issues.

Two government sources told the news agency Reuters that all measures taken by India against Pakistan after April 22, including on trade and visas, remain in place.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Lahore, Pakistan, said that for the Pakistani side, the water issue is crucial “because India has suspended its related treaty with Pakistan, which affects the livelihood and agriculture in this country”.

Four government sources told Reuters that the Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan, remains suspended.

The treaty regulates the sharing of water from the Indus River and its tributaries between the South Asian nations. India pulled out of it last month. It is crucial to agriculture in both nations.

“There are real fundamental political issues that need to be addressed so we don’t find ourselves again in a militarised crisis,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Centre, told Al Jazeera.

“The timing is significant since there is significant water flow between India and Pakistan because of the season at the moment. But in a few months’ time, that will start to dry up,” she said.

India does not necessarily have the infrastructure to meaningfully divert water right now, but it will gain that capacity when there’s less flow. So, that will have to be on the agenda of the talks if the two sides are to come together,” she added.

‘God has been kind to us for now’

Following the announcement of a ceasefire, residents on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir expressed a sense of relief, with many praying for a lasting solution to the Kashmir conflict.

“I was extremely anxious about what was happening,” 25-year-old Rumaisa Jan, a resident of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir who has her wedding scheduled next week, told Al Jazeera. “This is the wisest decision taken after so many lives have been lost. We want peace and an end to all these hostilities.”

Firdous Ahmad Sheikh, who runs a travel agency in the city, said he was frustrated by Kashmir being turned into a “battleground” by the two countries.

“My only fear is that things could escalate again in future. These countries must sit together and find a political solution to Kashmir once and for all. I pray our children don’t have to witness such times again.

“God has been kind to us for now.”

In Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, residents welcomed the ceasefire, saying they hope it will bring long-awaited relief to a region that has borne the brunt of recurring conflict.

“For us, peace means survival,” said Zulfikar Ali, a resident. “We’ve suffered enough. I’m glad that both Pakistan and India have made a sensible decision.”

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Raises for Some, Perks for Others: Bryan Deflects Blame and Calls Special Session Amid Fiscal Blowback

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. on Monday defended the controversial implementation of executive pay raises, insisted he did not personally authorize them, and announced a special legislative session within the next three weeks to address what he framed as long-overdue retirement reforms—specifically targeting a provision in Virgin Islands law that allows senators to collect both a government pension and a legislative annuity simultaneously.
At the heart of the governor’s remarks was a pointed rebuttal to public outcry over pay adjustments given to executive branch employees, including himself and Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach. The raises, Bryan said, were not his doing—but rather the result of legislation enacted by the 34th Legislature and implemented under the law.
“I did not propose legislation to increase my salary. I did not sign legislation to implement it. I certainly did not give myself a raise,” Bryan said during his weekly press briefing. “I followed the law that the Legislature created.”
But that law—specifically the recommendations of the 2022 Compensation Commission—has drawn widespread backlash, not only for the automatic nature of the raises but for the timing. Bryan confirmed that all 12 salary increase recommendations made by the V.I. Public Officials Compensation Commission for central-government positions—which also includes the attorney general, and various commissioners and agency directors—have been implemented. He challenged critics who called for rescinding the raises, noting that “judges make $225k,” and that instrumentalities like the University of the Virgin Islands and V.I. Water and Power Authority pay executives well above the new gubernatorial salary, revealed last week to be a little more than $201,000.
What Bryan did not shy away from was one particular inequity that he said deserves immediate legislative attention: a provision in Virgin Islands law that allows sitting or former senators to draw both their government pension and a legislative annuity for life, even while collecting a paycheck from the government.
“If I run for delegate or legislature, I have to forfeit my retirement until I leave office. But senators? They get to keep their pension and collect a full paycheck. That’s a carve-out in the law just for them,” Bryan said.
Under Title 3, Chapter 27, § 714 of the Virgin Islands Code, any senator who serves at least six years is entitled to a lifetime legislative service annuity, starting at age 50, regardless of other government income. The law specifically states: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any member of the Legislature who becomes eligible for an annuity under this section may receive such annuity concurrently with any other annuity or salary to which such member is entitled.”
In plain terms: while other government employees must choose between their pension or a government paycheck during re-employment, senators get both.
Bryan said this long-standing double-dipping policy is part of the reason he is calling the Legislature into special session—though he was quick to clarify that the goal isn’t to target sitting senators, but rather to close loopholes, ensure fairness, and protect the long-term health of the GERS.
“This is not going to affect anyone’s access to government services or delay anyone’s paycheck,” Bryan said. “But we have to fix this. We can’t keep asking the public to sacrifice while these exceptions stay buried in the law.”
Bryan said the special session would also take up legislation to expand health insurance options for retirees—particularly those under age 65 who lose employer-sponsored coverage but aren’t yet eligible for Medicare.
One measure, he explained, would offer a government-sponsored insurance option to bridge that gap. “We’re looking at at least $17 million in additional funding for insurance,” he said. “This would allow us to support pre-65 retirees who currently have no viable coverage after leaving service.”
Bryan also wants lawmakers to revisit a policy that requires government employees to resign before seeking elected office—a rule that he said unfairly discourages public servants from participating in democracy.
“When you’re in the private sector, you can run and keep your job. But in government, you have to quit,” he said. “We want to give people the opportunity to run for office without risking their livelihood.”
He added that this proposal is part of a broader effort to make elections more accessible, particularly for younger candidates and those without independent wealth. “We want teachers, firefighters, and line staff to be able to step up and lead, just like anyone else,” Bryan said.
Base Salary Hike Tension and Legal Questions
Though not on the special session agenda, Bryan also pushed back on a separate law—Bill No. 36-0053, which he vetoed but senators overrode last week—that raises the base salary for government employees from $27,040 to $35,000. While Bryan said he supports higher wages, he criticized the measure for bypassing the negotiation process and lacking a funding source.
“It’s not that I don’t want people to get the money—they deserve it. But you have to do it responsibly,” he said. “When you place mandates like this during ongoing negotiations, it undercuts the process. We want everyone to get their step increases and fair raises, but we need to do it in partnership.”
He said his administration is already in active discussions with unions representing teachers, nurses, police officers, and other public workers, and that the FY 2026 executive budget includes appropriations to support wage increases and step raises across the board.
Bryan added that the government is now preparing to take the matter to court—arguing that lawmakers overstepped their authority by enacting compensation changes that traditionally fall under the executive’s jurisdiction.
“This isn’t about opinion anymore,” Bryan said. “All these issues will be decided by the court.”
He added that some of the legal questions involved—including whether senators can legally set their own salaries—may need to be resolved in federal court, not local court.
“We may have to file in District Court,” he said. “Some of these issues are conflicts for local judges—like who decides their pay, and can they legally set their own salaries?”
In what may have been the most sobering portion of Monday’s briefing, Bryan warned that the territory is at risk of slipping back into a cycle of reckless spending followed by forced austerity.
“Every time things start to look good—more employment, more revenue—somebody pushes too far, and we end up with layoffs,” he said, referencing previous periods of government expansion followed by cuts. “I don’t want to go back there.”

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