JAMMU (India)/ISLAMABAD: The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan spoke by phone on Monday, the Indian army said, as New Delhi reopened airports and shares rose in both countries following a ceasefire that paused days of intense fighting last week.
There were no reports of explosions or projectiles fired overnight, with the Indian army saying Sunday was the first peaceful night along their border in recent days.
Saturday’s ceasefire, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, followed four days of intense exchanges of fire as the nuclear-armed arch rivals targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians.
Leaders of India and Pakistan were “unwavering”, and the U.S. “helped a lot”, Trump said on Monday, adding that trade was a “big reason” why the countries stopped fighting.
“We are going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan…and India. We are negotiating with India right now. We are soon going to negotiate with Pakistan,“ he said.
Pakistan has thanked the U.S. for brokering the ceasefire while India, which opposes third-party involvement in its disputes with Pakistan, has not commented on Washington’s role.
The discussion between the military operations chiefs focused on the ceasefire, Indian broadcaster CNN-News18 reported, citing top government sources. It said curbs imposed by the countries on each other remained in place, including the suspension of trade and closure of their borders.
The Indian army said details of the talks would be shared soon. The media unit of the Pakistani military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was due to address the nation at 8 p.m. (1430 GMT) and local media said he would speak on last week’s strikes on “terrorist camps” in Pakistan which sparked the military conflict.
Modi has not spoken publicly on the strikes or the fighting.
The military confrontation began on Wednesday, when India said it launched strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir following an attack by Islamist militants in Indian Kashmir last month that killed 26 men. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan.
Islamabad denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation. It said the targets hit on Wednesday were civilian sites.
Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan both rule part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir, but claim it in full.
HOTLINE MESSAGE
India’s military sent a “hotline” message to Pakistan on Sunday about what it called its neighbour’s ceasefire violations the previous day, flagging New Delhi’s intent to respond to further such incidents, a top Indian army officer said.
A spokesman for Pakistan’s military denied any violations.
“In spite of some minor damage, all our military bases and systems continue to remain fully operational,“ India’s director general of air operations, Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, told a media briefing.
On Monday, India reopened 32 airports it had shut during the clashes, with the Airports Authority of India saying in a statement they were available for civil operations. Some schools remained closed.
Pakistan had reopened its airspace on Saturday.
Visitors were kept out of an airport in the border city of Amritsar shortly after the announcement, a Reuters witness said.
Dharmendra Singh, 34, a driver in the city sacred to Sikhs, said there was no fear among residents, though the situation was not as serious as in the northern city of Jammu.
“It’s over now … it’s good to see the city coming back to its glory,“ he said.
MARKETS SOAR
Pakistan’s international bonds rallied sharply, adding as much as 5.7 cents in the dollar, Tradeweb data showed.
Late on Friday, the International Monetary Fund approved a fresh $1.4-billion loan and also the first review of its $7-billion programme.
Pakistan’s benchmark share index closed up 9.4% on Monday, while India’s blue-chip Nifty 50 index closed 3.8% higher in its best session since February 2021.
In Beijing the foreign ministry said China, which also controls a small slice of Kashmir, was willing to maintain communication with both its neighbours, and play a “constructive role in achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” and maintaining peace.
India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989, but Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiri separatists.
Some in the region remained concerned despite the ceasefire.
“It is still scary,“ said Padam, a traveller in a train from Jammu to New Delhi.
“After blasts all over the city (Jammu), I am scared. I am going to stay in Delhi till I am sure the agreement is binding on Pakistan,“ added Padam, who declined to give his second name.
