India and Pakistan Sign Peace Yet Brace for Peril

May 26th, 2025

Dhruv Arun

On May 7, 2025, India launched missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. India stated that the strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure, while Pakistan rejected India’s claims. The strikes took place after two weeks of flare-ups between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a town in India-administered Kashmir. The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack. TRF is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT,) a Kashmir-focused terrorist group that perpetrated the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.

India announced “Operation Sindoor” as a response to the Pahalgam attack, targeting what it terms as “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Indian media reported that the precision strike weapons included SCALP cruise missiles and HAMMER precision-guided munitions, which were launched by the Rafale jets. Pakistan strongly criticized India’s actions, reporting 31 civilians killed and 46 wounded. Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanun Marsoos in response, during which Pakistan used precision-guided missiles and munitions in India and Indian-administered Kashmir. The conflict also saw India and Pakistan’s first-time engagement in drone warfare to target each other’s military bases.

These military strikes provoked multiple rounds of missile, drone, and loitering munition attacks, and heavy artillery fire, by both militaries from 7 to 10 May. Yet, following the New Delhi missile strikes, as of 10 May, both militaries had agreed to a full ceasefire. On May 10, the United States announced that on top of India and Pakistan agreeing to an immediate ceasefire, both began talks on a broad set of issues.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealed that India agreed to Pakistan’s bilateral request for a ceasefire after the Pakistani DGMO contacted India. Additionally, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently thanked President Trump for his role in bringing “lasting peace to South Asia.” India’s minister of foreign affairs stated that India and Pakistan worked out an understanding to stop the military action, but did not mention the role of third-party mediators such as the United States.

Despite the ceasefire, tensions remain high as both nations continue posturing. New Delhi maintains that Operation Sindoor is far from concluded, hinting at the possibility of further punitive actions. In response, Pakistan has promoted its army chief of staff, Asim Munir, to field marshal for what it regards as a successful defence of the nation between May 7 and 11. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed not to succumb to what he calls Pakistan’s “nuclear blackmail.”

Pakistan regards India as an existential threat and will continue to pursue its military modernization effort, including the development of battlefield nuclear weapons, to offset India’s conventional military advantage. Pakistan is modernizing its nuclear arsenal and maintaining the security of its nuclear materials and nuclear command and control. India views China as its primary adversary and Pakistan more as an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India’s and Pakistan’s militaries. Set against the backdrop of intensifying competition between China and the West, India and Pakistan’s 77-year-old enmity is being drawn deeper into the global contest for technological and strategic dominance. They will also do whatever it takes to wind this feud by: buying more weapons, finally utilize unused technologies, and developing new tactics to surprise and outmaneuver each other.

Extemp Analysis by Finian Knepper

Extemp Question: Can the May 2025 India-Pakistan ceasefire hold amid the conflict within the region?

AGDs: The general rule is when questions are regarding conflict and serious issues, go with a dramatic AGD to avoid making fun of a serious issue. That rule applies here - find a personal story, and make your judges know that this matters.

BG: Background is especially important when it comes to descriptive questions - your judge has to understand what caused the conflict, why a ceasefire happened, and what the ceasefire entails. If they don’t, your points about the nature of the ceasefire, or the people behind it won’t make sense.
SOS: Dive into the impacts of what will happen if a ceasefire won’t hold: even if you argue it can, a stat here showing how important this is matters. The fact that India and Pakistan are both in possession of Nuclear weapons is important to bring up here.

Thesis and Substructure: As this question is descriptive, ensure you use a corresponding substructure. For this specific question, I recommend Expectation/Verification. Have your points focus on one reason that the ceasefire will/will not hold, then use an example demonstrating that reason in effect. Follow with an impact for each of your points.