CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ madurai l sunday l may 11, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 28 l late city EDITION We welcome all efforts at de-escalation and hope ceasefire will be implemented —Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General This is no ceasefire. The air defence units in the middle of Srinagar just opened up... explosions heard Today’s ceasefire between India and Pakistan is hugely welcome. I urge them to sustain it 20K people join stalin’s unity rally PM should chair an allparty meet to take political parties into confidence on the US announcement Ceasefire —Omar Abdullah —David Lammy, UK Foreign minister —Jairam Ramesh, Congress Pak violates it with drones, intrusions Total breach Of understanding on truce arrived at by DGMOs on both sides, says Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi JUST hours before the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, the Modi government took an unprecedented step by deciding that any future act of terror on Indian soil would be treated as an “act of war” and will be responded accordingly . This decision, relayed by top government sources on Saturday afternoon, fuelled a speculation that the ongoing armed conflict between the two countries was nearing its end. Although there has been no official stand regarding the decision to classify future terror attacks as acts of war, sources on condition of anonymity confirmed it. This marks the first time the government has made such a declaration in relation to terrorism, sending a clear and strong message to Pakistan, which India has long accused of harbouring and supporting terror outfits operating from its territory . The decision puts countries like Pakistan in a particularly very dif ficult position. “India will act accordingly if henceforth any future act of terror is executed in India,” the source added. WITH THIS ISSUE PAkistan Apocalypse Now PLUS 12 PAGES Ten years have passed since 20 Tamil men were killed by AP police for allegedly trying to cut and smuggle red sanders in Seshachalam forest area. TNIE spotlights their families’ fight for justice page 2 By the armed forces. Adequate and appropriate response given. India takes the violations very seriously some suspicious movement near the perimeter of the military station there. Hours after India and Pakistan agreed “They issued a challenge, leading to a on Saturday to halt all firing and mili- brief exchange of fire with the suspect. tary action on land, air, and sea, effec- Sentry sustained a minor injury Search . tive from 5 pm, the latter violated the operations are underway to track the ceasefire with drone incursions and a intruder(s),” it said. series of blasts, making J&K Chief MinEarlier in the day the truce announce, ister Omar Abdullah wonder what the ment came shortly after US President truce was all about. Blackout sirens Donald Trump said his team had mediwent off in parts of the western border, ated a “full and immediate ceasefire” plunging them into darkness. following a long night of talks. Shortly In a late night briefing, Foreign Secre- thereafter, Misri announced the cessatary Vikram Misri said there were re- tion of military operations. peated violations of the ceasefire under“The Director General of Military Opstanding arrived at earlier in the evening erations of Pakistan called the Director between the Directors General of Military OpGeneral of Military Operations of India at 1535 erations of India and hours IST earlier today . Pakistan. It was agreed between “This is a breach of them that both sides the understanding arwould stop all firing DAY 4 rived at earlier today. and military action on The armed forces are givland and in the air and ing an adequate and appropriate re- sea with effect from 1700 hours Indian sponse to these violations and we take Standard Time today Misri announced. ,” very, very serious note of these viola- Instructions have been issued on both tions,” Misri pointed out. sides to implement the agreement, he He urged Pakistan to take appropriate said. Both DGMOs are scheduled to steps to address these violations and speak again at 12 pm on May 12. deal with the situation with seriousness External Affairs Minister S Jaisand responsibility . hankar said, “India has consistently The armed forces, he said, were main- maintained a firm and uncompromising taining a strong vigil. “They have been stance against terrorism in all its forms given instructions to deal strongly with and manifestations. It will continue to any instances of repetition of the viola- do so.” tions of the border along the InternaSources later said the stoppage of firtional Border as well as the Line of Con- ing and military action between India trol, Misri added. and Pakistan was “worked out directly In Nagrota in J&K, the army noticed between the two countries”. J aya n th J a c o b @ New Delhi India stresses any future act of terror will be ‘act of war’ Retaliation on Indus waters treaty To remain in abeyance as announced by India in the wake of the terror attack at Pahalgam Chennai: Nearly 20,000 people joined the unity rally led by CM M K Stalin in Chennai on Saturday to show solidarity with the Indian Army engaged in a military conflict with Pakistan. Ministers, officials, and people from all walks of life joined the 3.7-km rally | P4 INSIDE 15 students stranded in Punjab reach Chennai | P7 500 TN fishers still in sea off Gujarat coast | P7 expulsion of diplomats To continue, says govt and so will the scaling down of high commission strength on both sides President Trump claimed credit for truce that wasn’t J aya n th J a c o b @ New Delhi Crediting American mediation for defusing a military escalation between India and Pakistan, President Donald Trump on Saturday announced a “full and immediate” ceasefire between India and Pakistan, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a “US-brokered” truce. He praised Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif for their “wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace”. However, sources in New Delhi emphasised that the understanding to halt military action was reached di- rectly between the two militaries, not through any third-party mediation. They said the Pakistan DGMO initiated a call Saturday afternoon, leading to discussions and the ceasefire agreement. “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,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as a “US-brokered ceasefire”. Security personnel patrol near the Dal Lake Srinagar on Saturday before the ceasefire | PTI ‘Truce conditional, not lowering guard’ New Delhi: India’s ceasefire agreement announced with Pakistan is a conditional one and does not signal any change in New Delhi’s diplomatic posture, including its suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a top goverment source said on Saturday