The government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan had directly approached his Indian counterpart on 10 May with a request to cease firing and military activity, a request India accepted later that day.
This clarification came as part of a written response by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to questions surrounding Operation Sindoor and recent developments along the Line of Control. The government reaffirmed that the understanding was reached directly between the DGMOs of both nations, without the involvement of any third party.
“No sir. On 10 May 2025, the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan approached his Indian counterpart to request for cessation of firing and military activities, which was agreed to later that day. This understanding was arrived at directly between the two DGsMO,” Singh said in response to a question by IUML MP Haris Beeran.
Beeran had also asked whether a bilateral agreement had been signed following the ceasefire. The minister replied in the negative, saying, “No.”
The same position was reiterated earlier in the Lok Sabha, where the government said that the initiative for cessation was “initiated by the Pakistani side” and was a product of “direct contact” between military officials of the two countries.
“All our interlocutors were given a common message that India's approach was focused, measured and non-escalatory,” Singh stated in that reply.
The government also responded to a separate query concerning Pakistan’s new roles at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), where it has been appointed Chair of the 1988 Sanctions Committee concerning the Taliban and Vice-Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).
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When asked how a country often described as the “epicentre of terrorism” could be appointed to such roles, Singh explained that these were procedural and largely ceremonial positions.
“The allocation of chairships and vice-chairships for Security Council subsidiary bodies is a routine annual exercise, traditionally based on consensus among its members,” Singh said.
“As per established practice, all chair and most vice-chair positions are offered to non-permanent members. In 2025, allocations were made for around 24 subsidiary bodies. Pakistan is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025–26 term. It has been appointed Chair of the UNSC 1988 (Taliban) Sanctions Committee for 2025, and Vice Chair of the UNSC 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee for 2025, along with Russia and France,” he added.
Singh noted that the Chair’s role in the Sanctions Committee is “primarily to convene and facilitate meetings and coordinate among members to implement the Committee’s mandate,” while the Vice-Chair’s role in the Counter-Terrorism Committee is “largely ceremonial.”
He emphasised that “no individual member can unilaterally influence the agenda or contents” as decisions are taken by consensus.
Responding to another query, Singh detailed the government’s diplomatic outreach following the Pahalgam terror attack. Seven all-party parliamentary delegations were dispatched to 33 countries to mobilise support against terrorism and counter Pakistani narratives on Jammu and Kashmir.
“They briefed their interlocutors on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor and also the long history of Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks in India,” Singh said.
“The delegations were able not only to raise awareness on Pakistan's complicity in terrorism on a global scale but also to address Pakistani propaganda on Jammu and Kashmir and Operation Sindoor. All their interlocutors unequivocally condemned the use of terrorism against India, with several of them recognising India's right to defend itself against terrorism,” he added.
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