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Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan (Img: Pinterest)
New Delhi: Former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has raised questions over how details of the India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement during Operation Sindoor reached the United States before the announcement was made publicly. Chauhan said the information did not come from the Indian side and suggested that it may have leaked from Pakistan.
Speaking at an event organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi, Chauhan rejected claims that any third country played a role in bringing the India-Pakistan military confrontation to an end. He said the ceasefire was decided through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both nations.
According to General Chauhan, the ceasefire discussions took place through the established military channel. He said Pakistan’s DGMO contacted his Indian counterpart, following which both sides decided the timing and terms of stopping hostilities.
Chauhan said the conversation remained confidential between the two military officials and questioned how Washington came to know about the development before India made any official announcement.
He said the information did not leak from the Indian side and indicated that the source could have been elsewhere, including Pakistan.
The remarks come amid a long-running controversy over US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Washington helped broker the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
Trump has repeatedly said that American intervention and trade pressure played a role in stopping the conflict. However, India has consistently maintained that the ceasefire was achieved through direct military-level communication between the two countries.
Indian officials have clarified that no third-party mediation was involved and that the decision was taken independently by India and Pakistan’s military leadership.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people. Indian forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The situation escalated over the next few days, with both sides carrying out military strikes. On May 10, Pakistan’s DGMO contacted India, leading to an understanding to halt further military action.
General Chauhan’s latest remarks have reignited debate over the ceasefire announcement, the role of international actors, and the question of how sensitive information moved during the tense military standoff.
