India-Pakistan ceasefire: Aap chronology samajhiye

Researched by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

India-Pakistan ceasefire: Aap chronology samajhiye

The ceasefire is official. All sides are claiming victory—including Donald Trump. What is lost in a tsunami of propaganda: How we got here.

Pehle aaya IMF: On May 9, the IMF approved a $1.4 billion climate loan to Pakistan plus a $1 billion tranche of a far larger $7 billion loan. That was a huge setback to New Delhi which had been lobbying fiercely against the loan—arguing that Islamabad should be punished for harboring terror groups. Scroll has that story.

Adding to this insult: India did not vote ‘no’ on the resolution approving the loan. This prompted an immediate PR battle. Government officials claimed a ‘no’ vote was impossible—and the only option was to abstain: “This was a firm yet mature diplomatic signal, showing India will not support Pakistan’s duplicity — but also will not disrupt global economic order rashly.” Turns out both claims were debatable.

Point to note: The IMF loan became a symbol of India’s inability to muster diplomatic support for its position on Pakistan. Where China and Turkey spoke up for Islamabad—no one did so for New Delhi.

Saturday strikes: Early on May 10, the two countries traded fresh cross-border strikes. India targeted the Nur Khan airbase near Rawalpindi, while Pakistan reportedly aimed at military positions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Enter Donald Trump: Out of the blue, the US prez suddenly inserted himself into the action—declaring a ceasefire on Truth Social at 6.30pm IST:

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!

Yes, our foreign policy was announced by a foreign leader on his social media account. Adding injury to insult: Trump Jr who declared: “The adults are back in charge and the world is safer because of it.” No, he wasn’t talking about anyone on the subcontinent. Btw, everyone from JD Vance to Marco Rubio rushed to celebrate the ceasefire—before either India or Pakistan said a word.

Islamabad says ‘yay’: PM Shehbaz Sharif was the first out of the gate—deliberately attributing the ceasefire to Trump:

We thank President Trump for his leadership and proactive role for peace in the region. Pakistan appreciates the United States for facilitating this outcome, which we have accepted in the interest of regional peace and stability.

New Delhi says?? On our side of the border, none of our netas said a word. The ceasefire was finally confirmed by the military—and later Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Odder still: They claimed the deal had been negotiated by Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two sides. Nary a single diplomat was involved—which is unprecedented at least for India—which isn’t run by the military.

But, hey, PR clips speak louder than words. On Saturday evening, the government put this clip of Modi-ji consulting his top defence officials. Lots of nodding was involved:

The trolls say: It was all Vikram Misri’s fault—who was attacked in the ugliest fashion—along with his family—for being a “coward.”

Where we are now: After initial accusations of ceasefire violations, all sides settled down to the greater task at hand—spinning this mess as a military victory. Trump claimed to have single-handedly brought peace to South Asia:

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!

Meanwhile, in Pakistan: PM Sharif too claimed ‘fatah’ (victory)—alongside footage of “civilians showering flower petals on military tanks and placing garlands around soldiers’ necks.” Some columnists declared that Pakistan “may just have won its first ever war against India.”

Meanwhile, in New Delhi: The Indian Air Force declared Operation Sindoor a great success—but may have indirectly acknowledged the possibility of having lost a plane (or two):

We are in a combat scenario, losses are a part of combat. The question you must ask us is... have we achieved our objective of decimating the terrorist camps? And the answer is a thumping yes. And the results are for the whole world to see.

The Indian DGMO claimed to have killed over 100 terrorists and 35-40 Pakistani soldiers. And our robust response finally cowed Islamabad into submission:

The senior officers of the three services observed that it was the massive retaliatory attack by India, which targeted several Pakistani air bases on Saturday morning that prompted Pakistan to reach out for the understanding.

For what it’s worth, experts say India has come out ahead, albeit modestly:

Western diplomats, former officials and analysts who have studied the dynamics between India and Pakistan said that India came out of this latest conflict looking assertive and aggressive, and perhaps has established some new level of deterrence with Pakistan.

Quotes to note: Since every government announcement requires a line of filmi dialogue, Indian Express “learnt” that the Prime Minister himself told the Indian military: “Wahan se goli chalegi, toh yahan se gola chalega” (if bullets come from the other side, it will be responded with shells)—which tbh sounds exactly like him. Another “official” told The Hindu the Operation had sent a clear message: “If you hit, we hit and if you stop, we stop.”

About Donald’s peace prize: Washington’s claim for credit is the most controversial bit of this sudden ending. The reason: India has firmly resisted any attempt at third-party mediation in its bilateral relationship with Pakistan—since the 1972 Shimla Agreement. Pakistan, OTOH, has consistently sought to ‘internationalise’ the dispute over Kashmir. That’s why New Delhi has not acknowledged any role played by Washington. Instead, Monday morning papers claim Modi warned JD Vance that India would hit “harder, deeper and bigger”—in advance of the first strikes. Our offensive was so scary that Islamabad went running to Washington for protection:

There were calls between Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir and US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, where they showed their willingness to talk to India. Rubio spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who said India was willing to talk, and that was conveyed earlier as well.

That’s when the Pakistani DGMO reached out for ceasefire negotiations.

So who’s lying? It’s hard to tell but here’s the most telling line—doled out by Trump after the dust settled:

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.

Reminder: India is scrambling to ink a free trade agreement with the US—to avoid crippling tariffs. New Delhi enjoys a $41.18 billion trade surplus that it cannot afford to lose. But the price of appeasement—Trump posturing over Kashmir—may be far too high.

Reading list: CNN has a solid explainer of the ceasefire while Associated Press offers the timeline. The Hindu has the armed forces presser—while Indian Express is the best (unofficial) government stenographer—read New Delhi’s spin here. CNN and New York Times (login required) have the White House version—of how Trump bravely prevented nuclear armageddon. The Wire has more on the Shimla Agreement angle and India’s diplomatic silence.

In happier related news: IPL is back on track—and will be extended to May 30. Venues could be limited to Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. But, but, but: many of the overseas players and coaches have already gone home. (ESPNCricinfo)

In funnier related news: Indian television media embarrassed itself throughout the war with one outlandish false claim after another. But Arnab Goswami made an unusual error—with this three-minute tirade against the US for claiming credit for the ceasefire. It has since disappeared from all official handles. Check it out below.

Related must reads: Victims of the war have been largely sidelined in mainstream media coverage but The News Minute offers a sobering interview of the family of twins killed in Poonch. The Print has a bombshell report of how a US-based space tech firm received a dozen orders for high res images of Pahalgam, two months prior to the attack.

Theranos 2.0: Besharmi to the max

The context: Elizabeth Holmes is serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup Theranos—selling a broken blood test as a revolutionary breakthrough. She tried to pin the blame on her then (life and biz) partner Ramesh ‘Sunny’ Balwani—who she painted as a predatory, manipulative older man. He received a much harsher sentence. We recommend this Big Story if you want more on Holmes.

What happened now: Elizabeth Holmes’ new partner—Billy Evans, who she acquired in the course of her trial—is raising money for a new startup called Haemanthus. It’s key offering: high tech medical testing:

Currently, the company is using light detection technology that can essentially guide AI sensors to conduct medical tests, according to the source and a patent the company was granted in January. The company is focused on something called Raman spectroscopy, which has been shown to help diagnose ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, as well as some forms of cancer.

Adding to the besharmi:

[The company] describes itself as “the future of diagnostics” and “a radically new approach to health testing”... A photo provided to potential investors of the start-up’s prototype bears more than a passing physical resemblance to Theranos’s infamous blood-testing machine, variously known as the Edison or miniLab.

NPR has lots more details—if you care.

Netflix is getting a makeover!!

Netflix’s TV homepage is getting its first big redesign since 2013. The change will be rolled out for users worldwide in “the coming weeks and months.” The new version will be “more personal”—and responsive:

With the new home screen, Netflix says it will adapt recommendations on the fly based on how you’re interacting with the app at that moment. If you’re stopping to watch a lot of romantic comedy trailers, for instance, the recommendation rows further down the app may update to reflect that.

The bold claim: “It’ll just be magically easier to find something to watch.” They are also testing a vertical feed (like TikTok) and an AI search tool for mobile—“that will allow users to ask Netflix for recommendations using more conversational language, such as ‘I want to watch something funny and upbeat’.” Check out the promo below. (NBC News)

what caught our eye

India vs Pakistan

A fragile India-Pakistan ceasefire has traders quietly hopeful, eyeing steadier labour and a shot at reviving the economy.
As India-Pakistan tensions rise, 32 airports are shutting to civilian flights till May 15—Delhi Airport stays open, but brace for delays.

business & tech

Say hello to insurance that cover companies for losses caused by malfunctioning AI tools. Read more in Financial Times.
WhatsApp has won a five-year-old legal battle against the infamous spyware maker NSO Group (origins of the group explained here) for hacking more than 1,400 of its users by taking advantage of a vulnerability in the chat app’s audio-calling functionality. The NSO group has to pay more than $167 million in damages.

sports & entertainment

After the US, 400 musicians in the UK—including Dua Lipa, Sir Elton John, Sir Ian McKellen and Florence Welch—have written to the UK PM to update copyright laws that protect them from AI.
‘Suits LA’—the spinoff of the popular legal drama Suits—has been cancelled after one season. Indian Express has the reasons.

health & environment

A new study has found that weight loss jabs (not Ozempic or Wegovy) may be good for people’s mental health as well as helping curb their appetite.
Scientists have found that a rare breed of hunting dogs (not recognised by the American Kennel Club)—Turkish Pointer—known for its forked nose might help scientists understand why human babies are sometimes born with facial clefts.
In a first, scientists in New Zealand have documented a carnivorous land snail—Powelliphanta augusta—laying its egg—via its neck—through a “genital pore” just below their head. Nope we’re not embedding the video as some may find it gross—you can see it here.
MIT researchers have found that dropping an egg horizontally is more likely to keep it intact than a vertical drop.

meanwhile, in the world

A federal judge ordered the release of Turkish national and PhD student at Tufts University Rümeysa Öztürk—six weeks after she was arrested for penning a pro-Palestine op ed.
Weeks after the high tariff tit-for-tat, The Donald’s team has made “great progress” on the high-stakes trade negotiations with China. Trump described the discussions as "a total reset" and said the two sides agreed on many issues.
The Trump administration is also set to admit its first group of white South African refugees—fast-tracked under claims of racial persecution, despite a near-total freeze on other asylum cases.
Meanwhile, a coalition of 15 US states is suing Trump's efforts to fast-track energy-related projects.
Also from the United States: its Travel Association says the United States is now running an annual travel trade deficit of $50 billion, compared with a $3.5 billion surplus in 2022.
On Saturday, the leaders of four European nations—France, Germany, the UK and Poland—made a joint visit to Ukraine. They are looking to push for a 30-day ceasefire to the war starting May 12.
A 50-year-old Soviet spacecraft named Cosmos 482 fell into the Indian Ocean on Saturday. The spacecraft was sent to Venus but it failed and remained trapped in Earth’s orbit for decades. Experts warn not to mess with it.

meanwhile, in India

India’s first tomato festival ‘Toma Terra’—yup inspired by Spain's famous ‘La Tomatina’—received social media backlash centred around calling out food wastage.
Good news: Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu have attained the UN Sustainable Development Goals targets re maternal mortality rate, under-five mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate. The Hindu has the deets.

Four thing to see

One: The assassination attempt on Donald Trump has now been immortalised in stone. The good news: it is a tiny statue placed on a side table next to Trump’s Resolute Desk. It shows the moment when the Donald raised his fist and yelled “Fight! Fight! Fight!” at rallygoers. The bad news: a larger, 9-foot bronze version of the sculpture is coming up next. (New York Post)

Two: In keeping with his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV called for peace in Ukraine and an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff. He also mentioned the ceasefire between India and Pakistan (which we have covered above). (Al Jazeera)

Three: D4vd’s album ‘Withered’ had the second-best debut on the Billboard 200 this week. The most impressive bit: He made the album almost entirely on his iPhone—“doing vocal takes from his sister’s closet directly into the phone.” Below is the music video of his emo track ‘Is This Really Love’. (Hollywood Reporter)

Four: On Saturday, Madame Tussauds unveiled a wax figure of the ‘RRR’ star Ram Charan. The super special bit: He is accompanied by his excellent dog Rhyme. Btw: He’s only the second person ever to have his pet featured at the Madame Tussauds—after the late Queen Elizabeth II. Rhyme is in royal company! See Rhyme steal the show at the unveiling below. (Indian Express)