India-Pak ceasefire LIVE: India expels Pakistani official; gives 24 hrs to leave

A day after US President Donald Trump said India and Pakistan agreed to a 'ceasefire' (his terminology) following his negotiations on trade, the Ministry of External Affairs at a briefing on Tuesday clarified that trade did not come up during any talks on the evolving military action. The MEA also said the Jammu and Kashmir issue has to be solved bilaterally between India and Pakistan, without third-party involvement.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India would keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures support for cross-border terrorism".

Tensions spiked along the India–Pakistan border late last night, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation in which he announced Operation Sindoor as India’s new policy against terrorism. Authorities enforced fresh blackouts in Jammu and Samba, expanding on earlier power shutdowns that had followed his speech. Unverified reports also indicated 10–12 suspected drones were intercepted over Samba, with additional accounts of small arms firing in the Samba and Hiranagar sectors of Jammu and Kashmir.

More in yesterdays blog here

India on Tuesday expelled a Pakistani official working at the Pakistan high commission for allegedly indulging in espionage.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the official was indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India and that he has been given 24 hours to leave the country.

The action came amid heightened tension between the two countries following their four-day military confrontation. India also issued a demarche to Pakistani Charge d' Affaires in New Delhi on the activities of the official.

Though the MEA did not divulge the specific charges against the Pakistani national, it is learnt that they are related to a case of espionage being probed by Punjab Police.

"The government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India," the MEA said. "The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours. Charge d' Affaires, Pakistan High Commission, was issued a demarche to this effect today."

Punjab Police on Sunday said it has arrested two persons including a woman for their alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to a Pakistani official posted at the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi.

Based on credible intelligence, a suspect was arrested for leaking sensitive information to a Pakistan-based handler regarding Indian Army movements, Punjab's director-general of police Gaurav Yadav said.

The development came days after Amritsar Rural Police arrested two persons — Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih — for their alleged role in leaking sensitive information and photographs of Army Cantonment areas and air bases to Pakistan's intelligence agency, as per local officials.

Yadav said the accused had been receiving payments through online transactions in exchange for sharing classified information.

India on Tuesday said its long-standing position on Kashmir has been that it is a bilateral issue between New Delhi and Islamabad and there is no change of this stand.

The assertion came against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's renewed offer to mediate on the Kashmir issue. "We have a longstanding national position that any issues pertaining to the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have to be addressed by India and Pakistan bilaterally," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

"That stated policy has not changed. As you are aware, the outstanding matter is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan," he said. Jaiswal was responding to a question on Trump's offer.

On speculation on nuclear war by Trump, Jaiswal said the military action was entirely in the conventional domain. "There were some reports that Pakistan's National Command Authority will meet on 10 May. But this was later denied by them. Pakistan's foreign minister has himself denied the nuclear angle on record," Jaiswal said.

"As you know, India has a firm stance that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail or allow cross-border terrorism to be conducted invoking it," he said. "In conversations with various countries, we also cautioned that their subscribing to such scenarios could hurt them in their own region."

Jaiswal also said India would keep Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures support for cross-border terrorism.

Pakistan nurtured terrorism on an industrial scale, he said. Terrorist infrastructure that India destroyed under Operation Sindoor were responsible not only for the deaths of Indians but of many other innocents around world, he said.

In a conversation with Sports Today, Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has said: "What I would really like to see is, these are the last few matches. I think we have had about 60 games or thereabouts. I think it is the last 15 or 16 games. I would sincerely... because of what has happened and some families have lost their near and dear ones, I would like all the show-sha baji that goes with it to not be there. Just the game to be played. Let there be crowd but no music. Let's not have the DJs screaming in the middle of an over. None of that.”

"Let's just have a tournament, the balance of a tournament. No dancing girls, nothing. Just cricket would be a really nice way to respect the sentiment of the families who have lost their near and dear ones."

Gavaskar was referring to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack of 22 April, in which 25 Indians and a Nepalese citizen, mostly tourists, lost their lives.

China’s senior foreign ministry official in-charge of Asian affairs Liu Jinsong met Indian ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat amid the India-Pakistan military conflict and exchanged views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern.

Liu, who is director-general of the department of Asian affairs at the foreign ministry, met Rawat on Monday, a brief press release from the ministry said, adding that the two sides exchanged views on China-India relations and issues of common concern.

China hopes India and Pakistan will cement and continue the ceasefire momentum, avoid further conflict, properly handle differences through dialogue and negotiation, and return to the track of political settlement, Liu said.

China is ready to stay in communication with India and Pakistan and play a constructive role in realising a full and lasting ceasefire between the two countries and keeping the region peaceful and stable, he also said.

It was a bittersweet moment for Dhruv Hemant Joshi (16) when he scored an impressive 80 per cent in his Class 10 examination as the result came days after he lost his father in the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

The results of the examination conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education were announced earlier in the day.

Hemant Joshi, Sanjay Lele and Atul Mone, residents of Dombivli near Mumbai, were among the 26 persons shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam on 22 April.

Dhruv, a student of Omkar International School, was witness to the massacre. "He and his family feel very sad that his father is not there to see his success," said a relative. He wants to take admission into the science stream and become a doctor, said his maternal uncle Mohit Bhave.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav frowns on the BJP's 10-day-long 'Tiranga Yatra' programme, saying "armed forces must never be dragged into politics".

The former Bihar deputy chief minister asserted that he was "proud" of the armed forces but averse to the politics of "claiming credit".

"I believe in positive politics. I am of the firm opinion that the armed forces must never be dragged into politics. I have nothing to say to those who have no qualms about claiming credit for the success of the military operation," said Yadav, now leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly.

The 'Tiranga Yatra' is scheduled to run till 23 May.

The young leader, however, added, "I am all for feting our brave soldiers. And that is the reason why I have been demanding a special session of the Parliament where all members, including the Prime Minister, could come up with their words of appreciation."

When it was pointed out that NCP founder Sharad Pawar, a key INDIA bloc partner, has favoured an all-party meeting over a Parliament session, the RJD leader said, "All of us have different opinions. But the sentiment is the same — to honour our soldiers."

Yadav was among those gathering at Patna airport yesterday, 12 May, to pay tribute to BSF sub-inspector Mohammad Imtiyaz, whose body arrived from Jammu and Kashmir. He said he would be visiting the martyr's native village in Saran district soon.

The Indian Army has posted about intelligence reports of terrorist presence in Shoekal Keller in Shopian, which triggered a search and destroy operations. It said that three terrorists were killed in an encounter

Congress general secretary (in-charge, communications) Jairam Ramesh posted on X to ask whether, like the Vaypayee government after the Kargil War, the Modi government will put together a review committee and put out a report in the aftermath of Pahalgam.

Ramesh also noted that a PM Modi-chaired all-party meeting is urgent in view of statements emanating from POTUS Donald Trump in Washington DC on the Indo-Pakistan conflict and ceasefire

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh and the top brass in the armed forces carried out a comprehensive review of national security along the frontier with Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by the chief of defence staff Gen. Anil Chauhan, Army chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi and defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi visited the Adampur air base in Punjab and conversed with some of the jawans there.

An encounter broke out on Tuesday, 13 May in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district following an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists. The operation is currently underway, with forces engaged in flushing out the militants from the area.

It is unknown at this time whether the operation is related to the Pahalgam attack.s Further details are awaited.

As tensions ease, schools, colleges, universities, coaching centres, and Anganwadi centres reopened on Tuesday, 13 May, across Jodhpur, Bikaner, Barmer, and Sri Ganganagar districts. However, educational institutions in Jaisalmer remain shut.

In Sri Ganganagar, confusion prevailed early in the day due to a last-minute announcement, leading to low attendance in schools. Authorities have also imposed a ban on the use of Pakistani SIM cards in the district. Meanwhile, Maharaja Ganga Singh University in Bikaner has announced that postponed exams will resume from 15 May.

A surveillance drone was brought down by Indian armed forces near Mand village in Punjab’s Jalandhar district on Monday night, District Collector Himanshu Aggarwal confirmed.

The drone was neutralised around 9:20 p.m., and an expert team is currently searching for the debris. Authorities have urged residents to stay away from the site and report any findings to the nearest police station. No further drone activity has been reported in the district since 10 p.m., the official added.

Schools across five border districts of Punjab remained closed on Tuesday, 13 May 2025, amid heightened security measures. Blackouts were also enforced last night in Amritsar and Hoshiarpur’s Dasuya and Mukerian areas as a precaution, officials said.

Colleges and universities in Pathankot and Amritsar remained shut, though authorities in Amritsar have allowed higher education institutions to conduct classes online.

Drone activity was detected along the International Border in Jammu’s Samba district and Punjab’s Jalandhar on the night of 12 May 2025. However, the Army later confirmed that the situation was calm, with no enemy drones currently reported in the area, ensuring the situation remained under control. 

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will appear before Parliament’s Standing Committee on External Affairs on 19 May to brief members on the current situation with Pakistan.

Committee chairman and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor confirmed the development, stating that Misri will update the panel on the sequence of events—starting with India's strikes on terror sites in Pakistan, followed by days of heightened conflict, and culminating in a ceasefire agreement.

Misri has previously briefed the committee on regional and global diplomatic issues, including India’s relations with Bangladesh and Canada.

In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror strike, over 15 lakh cyber attacks have been launched on Indian government and critical infrastructure websites by Pakistan-allied hacker groups, according to Maharashtra Cyber. While the volume of attempted intrusions is significant, only 150 attacks were successful, officials told PTI on Monday, 13 May.

Seven Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups have been identified as key actors behind the coordinated cyber offensive. Despite the recent ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, Indian digital infrastructure continues to face threats, with attacks also originating from Bangladesh and parts of the Middle East.

A senior Maharashtra Cyber official dismissed social media rumours of data breaches involving the Mumbai airport, municipal systems, or the Election Commission website, labelling such claims as false.

Delhi Airport has issued a travel advisory stating that while operations remain normal, changing airspace conditions and enhanced security protocols may lead to some flight schedule disruptions and longer processing times at security checkpoints.

Passengers are advised to stay updated via their respective airlines, adhere to baggage regulations, arrive early, and cooperate with airport staff. Authorities have urged travellers to rely only on official sources for information and avoid circulating unverified content.

IndiGo has cancelled all flights to and from Jammu, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Leh, Srinagar, and Rajkot for 13 May 2025, citing security concerns. The announcement was made late on Monday night at 11:38 p.m. via a post on X.

"In light of the latest developments and with your safety as our utmost priority, flights to and from these cities are cancelled," the airline said in statement, adding that its teams are closely monitoring the evolving situation.

In a significant development following recent tensions, India and Pakistan on Monday, 12 May, agreed to consider immediate measures for reducing troop presence along the borders and forward areas.

The decision came during talks held between the Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries via the established military hotline at 5 p.m.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining the ceasefire, including a mutual pledge to refrain from firing or initiating any hostile action.