Days after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire brought an end to the recent hostilities between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, both countries have now agreed to withdraw their troops from forward combat positions along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border. The pullback, scheduled to be completed by May 30, is seen by officials as a key step toward easing regional tensions.
According to senior officials familiar with the development, high-level military coordination is underway, particularly between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries, to oversee a phased and organized de-escalation.
This move follows a fragile but mostly successful ceasefire that has held since fighting escalated earlier in the month. Officials describe the troop withdrawal as part of broader confidence-building efforts designed to lower the risk of renewed conflict.
“A return to normal military positions marks the second phase of the ceasefire agreement,” said a senior government source. He credited ongoing diplomatic efforts—especially from the United States and other international partners—for facilitating this progress.
The recent standoff began after what Pakistani officials referred to as “unprovoked aggression” by India, which led both militaries to abandon routine positions and adopt full combat readiness along the border. The decision to now revert to standard peacetime deployments is being viewed as a cautious yet hopeful sign of returning stability.
While neither Islamabad nor New Delhi has issued official statements regarding the troop movement, sources emphasize that the direct coordination between the two DGMOs represents a rare and constructive example of military-level engagement aimed at conflict prevention.
The troop pullback adds momentum to diplomatic and military efforts focused on easing decades-old hostilities between the two South Asian rivals—especially concerning their disputed claims over Kashmir, a flashpoint that has triggered multiple wars since 1947.
