India to only engage with Pakistan at DGMO level

India will engage with Pakistan only at the level of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) and there will be no talks on issues such as Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, which remains in abeyance, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

- Rezaul H Laskar

NEW DELHI:

After four days of intense hostilities that saw the two sides targeting each other's military installations with drones, missiles and long-range weapons and raised fears of an all-out conflict, the DGMOs of India and Pakistan reached an understanding on halting all military actions on Saturday afternoon. The DGMOs are set to speak again on their hotline at noon on May 12.

The people, speaking on condition of anonymity, brushed aside suggestions from the US administration, particularly President Donald Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio, about mediation on the Kashmir issue and talks between India and Pakistan on a broad set of issues at a "neutral site" and dismissed American claims of brokering a "ceasefire." Saturday's understanding to stop "all firing and military action" at land, air and sea was reached directly by the two sides.

"We have maintained from the start the only talking which will be done between India and Pakistan will be between the DGMOs and directly," one of the people said. "There will be no political conversations."