DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE MONDAY, MAY 12, 2025, KOLKATA, LATE CITY, 14 PAGES SINCE 1932 DGMO-LEVEL TALKS TODAY, REMAIN ONLY CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INDIA AND PAK `6.00 (`12 IN NORTH EAST STATES, `20 IN ANDAMAN) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM RUBIO CALLED JAISHANKAR INDICATING PAK WAS READY TO DE-ESCALATE AND TALK Modi told Vance India would hit hard, Pak called US after its bases damaged After strike on terror sites in Pak, PM told forces: ‘Wahan se goli chalegi, yahan se gola...’ NEW DELHI, MAY 11 THE INDIAN precision strikes on PakistaniairbasesearlySaturday came hours after US Vice President J D Vance called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi onthenightof May9andshared information about “alarming intelligence”thattherewasa“high probability for dramatic escalation if the conflict went into the weekend”. It is learnt that the Prime Minister told Vance that India’s response would be “harder, deeper and bigger” to any Pakistanimisadventure.Andthe Indian armed forces struck after Pakistan attempted to hit 26 locations on India’s northern and western frontiers. These details, which emerged Sunday, a day after the announcement of a ceasefire, were in sync with the government’s instruction to the military after it struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan- Cong asks Govt to take country into confidence, questions role of US in truce MANOJ C G & ASAD REHMAN NEW DELHI, MAY 11 A DAY after India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire, the Opposition Congress, focusing on the role played by the US in bringing about a truce, sought detailsof theceasefireandasked the government to take the country into confidence. Separately, Leaders of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the Prime Minister, asking that a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor and the ceasefire announcements “first announced by US President CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INSIDE U.S. ANNOUNCES TRADE DEAL WITH CHINA PUTIN CALLS FOR TALKS, ZELENSKYY SEEKS CEASEFIRE PAGES 10, 11 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY DGMOs Air Marshal A K Bharti, Lt General Rajiv Ghai, Vice Admiral A N Pramod with Major General S S Sharda brief the press on Operation Sindoor in New Delhi on Sunday. Amit Mehra occupied Kashmir on May 7. The Prime Minister is learnt to have said, “Wahan se goli chalegi, toh yahan se gola chalega (if bullets come from the other side, it will be responded with shells)”. On May 9 night and until the early hours of May 10, Pakistan attacked at 26 places, but these attempts were thwarted by Indian air defence systems. It was a significant scaling up by CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ‘Pak changed tune...we told Rubio need to hear from their channels, then their DGMO called’ On Trump mediation offer, top official: ‘No change in Govt position on talks with Pak’ SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, MAY 11 BEFORE US President Donald Trump claimed at 5.25 pm (IST), May 10, that the United States “mediated” the India-Pakistan ceasefire over a "long night," E conversations between top leaders in New Delhi and Washington reveal a telling account of what actually transpiredover24hoursbetween the night of May 9 and afternoon of May 10. On the night of May 9, US EXPLAINED SHUBHAJIT ROY Pak Army lost 35-40 men at LoC, its Air Force a few aircraft: Indian Armed Forces Vice President JD Vance spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and informed ● him of the US assessment that there was a high probability of a "dramatic escalation" of hostility, top sources aware of the talks said. Vance pressed Modi for an offramp that will be acceptable to Pakistan, they said. Modi is learnt to have heard him out. He told Vance that if Pakistan does anything, they must understand the response from India will be very very CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IC-814 and Pulwama perpetrators among 100 terrorists killed at terror sites: DGMO AMRITA NAYAK DUTTA NEW DELHI, MAY 11 THE PAKISTAN Army lost 35-40 personnel along the Line of Controlinheavycrossfireoverthe lastfewdays,andthePakistanAir Force lost “a few” aircraft, apart from suffering massive damage to assets and air bases during retaliatoryhigh-precisionstrikesby Indian armed forces as part of Operation Sindoor. These details were made publicSunday,adayaftertheannouncement of an end to militaryactionsbythetwocountries, at a media briefing by Director Generalof MilitaryOperationsLt GeneralRajivGhaiandhisIndian AirForceandNavycounterparts, Air Marshal A K Bharti and Vice Admiral A N Pramod. Lt General Ghai said 100 terroristswerekilledonthefirstday of OperationSindoorwhenIndia strucknineterrorhubsandthese includedhigh-valuetargetssuch as Yusuf Azhar and Muddasir involved in the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 and the Pulwama blast. In the subsequent days, the PakistanArmy,hesaid,lost35-40 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 After Indian strike, Rahim Yar Khan base runway out of action, admits Pak SUKALP SHARMA NEW DELHI, MAY 11 THE ONLY runway at Rahim Yar Khan air base of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has been declared non-operational for a week following precision strikes by the Indian armed forces early Saturday. Rahim Yar Khan, which is in Pakistan Punjab and faces the Rajasthan frontier, has a dualpurpose airport — it’s home to a forward operational base of the PAF Central Air Command and the Sheikh Zayed International Satellite images displayed by DGMOs show damage to runway and other structures at Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan air base. Airport. According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) Saturday evening, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 BrahMos not just a weapon but a message in itself, says Rajnath MAULSHREE SETH LUCKNOW, MAY 11 A DAY after it was learnt that India had used its BrahMos supersoniccruisemissilestotarget Pakistani air bases before the ceasefire came into effect, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday inaugurated the BrahMosIntegrationandTesting Centre in Lucknow — and said these missiles are not just a weapon but a message of strength of the armed forces. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath at the BrahMos Integration and Testing Centre in Lucknow on Sunday. Express Ceasefire brings hope to wife of BSF jawan held by Pak: ‘I’m hopeful of his return now’ PAGE 1 ANCHOR SWEETY KUMARI KOLKATA, MAY 11 FOR RAJANI, the wife of BSF jawan Purnam Singh held by PakistanRangersfornearlythree weeks, the news of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan has come as a relief. “I had lost all hope... But yesterday, after the ceasefire, I got a bit positive. I have full faith in Godthatmyhusbandwillreturn safely,” Rajani told The Indian Express over the phone. Purnam Shaw, 40, was detained by Pakistan Rangers after he inadvertently crossed the international border in Punjab's Ferozepurdistrict,adayafterterrorists killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir. Expressing her deep gratitude to West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, who called her to provide detailed updates onPurnam,Rajanisaid:“Iamextremely thankful to our chief minister. She had talks with top Rajani, wife of Purnam Shaw (left), detained by Pak Rangers BSFofficials,andtheyconfirmed to her that my husband is in good health. This assurance comingfromherisagreatrelief." "I am very sure that my husband will soon be back with us," added Rajani, who is expecting her second child. She has also expressed hope that the CM’s intervention could expedite the process. Meanwhile, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee demanded “immediateanddecisive”governmentintervention to secure the release of Purnam Shaw. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Kolkata