About two hours before US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan to the world, final negotiations reportedly took place between the respective Directors General Military Operations from either side.
India’s DGMO is Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai. His Pakistani counterpart is Major General Kashif Abdullah. Reports say that Major General Abdullah called Lieutenant General Ghai to discuss an end to cross-border firing and air intrusions. Lieutenant General Ghai agreed to a ceasefire.
After the ceasefire got off to a rocky start, Lieutenant General Ghai spoke to his Pakistani counterpart the following day and warned that India would respond fiercely to any further violations. The Indian DGMO’s threat seemed to have worked, because the ceasefire seems to be holding since.
There is a direct telephone line between the Indian and Pakistani DGMOs. It was reportedly established in 1971, after the Bangladesh Liberation War. The hotline has been used by the Indian and Pakistani DGMOs for decades, mostly to keep the other side informed about ground activity and operations, to prevent misunderstandings.
DGMO-level talks are an established means of communication between India and Pakistan. They help keep affairs between the two neighbours a bilateral issue. And that may have been the reason for India to insist on DGMO-level talks ahead of any ceasefire announcement.
