“A long night”: Kashmiris react to brief ceasefire violation
After days of intensifying conflict, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed on Saturday evening that India had agreed to a ceasefire with Pakistan.
“The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan called the DGMO of India at 3:30 pm. It was agreed between them that both sides would cease all firing and military action on land, in the air, and at sea with effect from 17:00 hours (5 pm) onwards,” Misri said at a press conference held in South Block.
Moments before the press conference, United States President Donald Trump posted on X, announcing the ceasefire between the two nations.
“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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
By 5:00 pm, brief moments of silence fell across border regions. The news spread quickly—some cried with relief, others dared not believe it. Many shops and restaurants closed early last night in Srinagar city, even after the ceasefire announcement. “We don’t know anything yet. Anything can happen,” said a steward at a local restaurant.
“We should go home,” said a receptionist at a local café. “Nothing and no one can be trusted as of now.”
While people were skeptical on the ground, social media was buzzing with cautious hope. People were congratulating each other while also speaking about the loss of lives, homes, and sleep over the last few days since India first attacked Pakistan.
But the hope was short-lived. Around 5:45 pm, people began posting about multiple drones spotted over Jammu. Minutes later, explosions shattered the calm. Around 8:30 pm, people were seen running through the streets to save their lives as massive blasts echoed across the city.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X and wrote, “What the hell just happened to the ceasefire? Explosions heard across Srinagar.”
In another tweet, he said, “This is no ceasefire. The air defence units in the middle of Srinagar just opened up.”
“It didn’t even last for an hour. What’s happening?” said a local resident.
Within moments, the city spiraled into chaos. Sirens wailed in several areas, and panic spread like wildfire. Shops slammed their shutters closed. Videos of people praying, screaming, and crying flooded the internet.
“I saw something like that for the first time in my life,” one person was heard saying in an online video.
To add to the panic, a blackout followed—everything went dark after back-to-back blasts. People stopped their vehicles in some areas to watch red flashes flying overhead before hurrying home.
The flashes lit up the sky as more drones buzzed overhead. “It was a long night,” said Muntaha, a resident of Srinagar’s Dalgate. “When it happened, I held my younger sister closer, thinking it was safer.”
“What will happen now? What will they do? Will they kill us?” said Nuzhat, another Srinagar resident, rubbing her hands and shivering in fear.
At a late-night press conference, Foreign Secretary Misri confirmed the ceasefire violation and called it a “breach of the understanding.”
“Over the past three hours, there have been repeated violations of the understanding arrived at earlier this evening between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan. This is a breach of the understanding arrived at earlier today. The armed forces are giving an adequate and appropriate response to these violations, and we take very, very serious notice of these violations,” he said.
After this brief violation, everything returned to normal, with no further reports of shelling or strikes from any area.
Today, U.S. President Trump said he was proud of the leadership of both nations.
“I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have led to the death and destruction of so many, and so much. Millions of good and innocent people could have died! Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision. While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great nations. Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!” he added.
Many are criticizing Trump for mentioning Kashmir in his post. Congress MP Manish Tewari posted on X, writing: “Someone in the US establishment needs to seriously educate their President Donald Trump that Kashmir is not a biblical 1000-year-old conflict. It started on October 22, 1947—78 years ago—when Pakistan invaded the Independent State of Jammu & Kashmir, which subsequently was ceded to India in ‘FULL’ by Maharaja Hari Singh on October 26, 1947. That includes areas illegally occupied by Pakistan till now. How difficult is it to grasp this simple fact?”
Meanwhile, others are noting that Kashmir’s name has returned to the international platform.
