India-Pakistan News Highlights: Pakistan hands over detained BSF Jawan back to India

Kangra airport in Himachal Pradesh has now reopened for civilian flight operations.

“The airport has reopened for civilian flight operations. This brings relief to the tourism industry here,” confirmed Airport Director Dhirendra Singh.

The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) for India and Pakistan are set to hold talks at 5 pm. Reports quoting sources indicate that the discussion will be held over a hotline — the first interaction since a truce agreement was reached over the weekend.

“Effectively using multiple sensors and inputs, we are maintaining continuous surveillance to degrade or neutralise threats as they emerge or manifest to ensure targeting at extended ranges. All these are conducted under the umbrella of a comprehensive and effective layered fleet air defence mechanism that caters for all threats, be it drones, high-speed missiles or aircraft, both fighters as well as surveillance aircraft,” said Vice Admiral AN Pramod during the presser,

“All our military bases, all our systems continue to remain fully operational and ready to undertake any future missions should the need so arise,” added Air Marshal AK Bharti.

“This was a different kind of warfare and is bound to happen. God forbid, but if we fight another war, that would be completely different from this one. It is a cat-and-mouse game, and we need to be ahead of the curve to beat the adversary,” said Air Marshal AK Bharti.

During a special defence briefing on the recent India-Pakistan military exchanges, DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai made an interesting analogy between cricket and military strategy, invoking the retirement of Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli. “I was watching Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket. Like many Indians, he is my favorite cricketer,” Ghai said. Drawing a parallel to cricket history, he recalled the dominance of Australian fast bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee during the Ashes series in the 1970s, quoting a famous line, “From ashes to ashes and from dust to dust, if Thommo don’t get you, then Lillee surely must.” Ghai used the reference to illustrate the depth and layered precision of India’s operational grid, hinting that just as batters then had little escape from the Australian pace duo, adversaries now face a similarly inescapable network of Indian defence systems.

“If you look closely at the layers, you’ll understand what I mean — even if you manage to get through all of them, one layer of this grid system is bound to catch you,” he said.

Special Defence Briefing on India-Pakistan military action, DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai says, “Our airfields are operational by all means. The air defence grid failed attack launched by Pakistani drones and weaponised UAVs. Rest of the drones were shot down by our shoulder-fired weapons. I would also like to praise our Border Security Force. From the Director General to the very last jawan on the border everyone actively participated in this operation. They supported us very bravely.”

A Chinese-made PL-15 missile fired during recent hostilities failed to hit its intended target, said DG Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti during a press briefing. “Some of the results achieved in encountering the enemy threat vectors over the last week are now being shown on the screen. PL-15 missile, which is of Chinese origin; this missile has missed its target, and you can see the pieces of it which are available with us,” he said. He further added that other weapons used included long-range rockets, loiter munitions and unmanned aerial systems, all of which were intercepted and neutralised by India’s trained crew and advanced air defence systems.

DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai says, “In the last few years, the character of terrorist activities have changed. Innocent civilians were being attacked.. ‘Pahalgam tak paap ka ye ghada bhar chuka tha’…”

via ANI

Addressing a joint military briefing on Operation Sindoor, Air Marshal AK Bharti said, “It is a pity that the Pakistani military chose to intervene and “that for terrorists and hence we chose to respond…”

LT Gen Ghai also briefly mentioned Virat Kohli during the presser.

Government has improved military infrastructure: Air Marshal AK Bharti

Joint military briefing begins.

The Congress party on Monday called on Centre to clearly state whether it is open to third-party mediation on the Kashmir issue, cautioning that such a position might go against the Simla Agreement. Referring to repeated claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that he is involved in the matter, Congress said the Union government must issue a formal clarification. During a party event, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal raised concerns about a possible change in India’s foreign policy and emphasized that the issue should be discussed in Parliament without delay. The party questioned whether the principles of the Simla Agreement—which explicitly rules out any third-party involvement in resolving the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan—have been compromised.

When India and Pakistan were in the middle of one of their most intense battles, JD Vance, Vice President of the United States, gave an interview to Fox News. He had clearly said that the US would stay out of the conflict and that the issue between India and Pakistan was “fundamentally none of our business.” But within just 24 hours, President Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio claimed that the US played a crucial role in stopping the fight and helping both countries agree to a ceasefire. This raised questions: Did India actually agree to a ceasefire because of a phone call from Trump?

Read More Here: What led to the Ceasefire? India’s actions that prompted Pakistan’s ‘change of tune’ and the DGMO Meet

As per media reports, the India-Pak DGMO talks have been postponed. The meeting was earlier expected to be held at 2:30 pm, but now reports say that the meet will be held post 4:00 pm now.

A wreath-laying ceremony was held in honor of BSF Constable Deepak Chingakham, who lost his life on May 10 while serving at the RS Pura sector in Jammu and Kashmir during cross-border firing by Pakistan.

Defence Expert Praful Bakshi, in conversation with news agency ANI, said that the DGMOs of both countries will be discussing the next steps, especially given the recent confusion and lack of clear communication. He added that Pakistan would likely use this pause to reassess and regroup, stressing that the country’s actions are influenced by China. According to him, China now better understands how to manage its relationship with Pakistan. He further said that the upcoming talks would likely results in a temporary pause in hostilities, rather than lasting peace.

The high-level security meet at PM Modi’s official residence in New Delhi, has reportedly ended. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, CDS and other service chiefs were seen at the meeting.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha stated that the administration has already provided ex-gratia compensation to the victim’s family and assured that any remaining support or assistance will be delivered promptly.

G Parthasarthy, former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, remarked that Pakistan’s current army chief, Asim Munir, held extreme views and overestimated his ability to challenge India. He added that Munir’s miscalculation led to a significant and humiliating defeat.

Military level DGMO talks between India and Pakistan have begun, according to media reports. This is the first time the DGMOs of both countries will be talking on hotline after Pak sought ceasefire.

Visuals have surfaced from the meeting that is currently being held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s official residence. The high-level meet can be seen attended by the three service chiefs, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and NSA Ajit Doval. 

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met with the families of Amrik Singh and Amarjeet Singh, both of whom lost their lives in the recent shelling by Pakistan over the past few days.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited a government hospital in Poonch to meet and check on the condition of those injured in the recent shelling by Pakistan over the past few days.

BJP MP Sambit Patra on Monday said thanked India’s security forces on behalf of BJP workers and country’s citizens. He said it was because of India’s armed forces that Operation Sindoor was successful. He further added that PM Modi avenged the deaths of innocents and the steps he took would cripple Pak economy.

In a few video clips shared by news agency ANI, NSA Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were seen arriving at Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s official residence in Delhi. Media reports suggest that the meeting comes ahead of the India-Pak DGMO talks today.

Bihar Minister Shravan Kumar paid homage to BSF Sub-Inspector Mohammed Imteyaz, who was killed during cross-border shelling in the RS Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir. He expressed pride in the bravery of the officer, highlighting that a son of Bihar gave his life in the line of duty and that the armed forces had avenged the victims of the Pahalgam attack. The minister also said that the entire nation, including the central government and Prime Minister Modi, stands in solidarity with the martyr’s family.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut strongly criticised US President Donald Trump for trying to get involved in the India-Pakistan conflict. He questioned Trump’s authority to step in, pointing out that the Simla Agreement clearly states the issue is to be resolved bilaterally, without third-party involvement. Raut sarcastically asked who appointed Trump as a mediator or leader in the matter and added that India’s armed forces are fully capable of handling the situation, even if the political leadership appears weak.

Top military officials are expected to hold a media briefing today on Operation Sindoor, according to media reports. The briefing will be held at 2:30 pm.

A complete blackout was enforced across the border districts of Rajasthan on Sunday night as a safety measure, following the recent pause in hostilities between India and Pakistan. In Barmer, residents reported spotting red lights in the sky, believed to be from drones, reported PTI. In response, the district administration issued a warning on X, advising people to stay indoors and maintain the blackout. However, officials later dismissed claims circulating on social media that a drone had been shot down, calling them inaccurate. By Monday morning, life in the border areas began returning to normal. Locals were seen gathering at tea stalls and shops, resuming everyday conversations and routines.

A meeting between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan will be held today at 12 noon. Track this space to know further updates from the conversation and full coverage of India-Pak tensions.