'Snatching defeat from jaws of victory...': Brahma Chellaney questions India’s timing on Pakistan 'ceasefire'

India’s ceasefire with Pakistan, declared just three days into military operations, has drawn sharp criticism from strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney, who called it the latest in a long history of 'self-defeating strategic retreats'.

“Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory has long been an Indian political tradition,” Chellaney posted on X, as the government confirmed it had agreed to halt all military operations on land, air, and sea.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri announced that the ceasefire followed a direct call from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) at 15:35 IST on Saturday. “It was agreed between them that both sides will stop firing and military action on land, air, and sea from 17:00 hrs IST today,” Misri said, adding that the DGMOs will speak again on May 12 at noon.

While the government insisted the decision was reached on India’s terms, with sources confirming National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were in close coordination with their U.S. counterparts, Chellaney questioned the strategy behind the halt.

Chellaney drew parallels with past instances where India, in his view, gave away military or diplomatic leverage without securing long-term advantage. “1948: India takes the Jammu and Kashmir issue to the UN and agrees to a ceasefire when the Army is marching toward victory,” he wrote. “1954: Without any quid pro quo, India surrenders extraterritorial rights in Tibet. 1966: India returns Haji Pir to Pakistan, which later becomes a terror launchpad.”

He added: “2021: India vacates the strategic Kailash Heights and agrees to Chinese-designed buffer zones in Ladakh. And now, 2025: After launching ‘Operation Sindoor’ to end Pakistan’s four-decade-long proxy war, India halts it three days later without achieving any clear objective.”

The United States has claimed a role in the outcome. President Donald Trump said the ceasefire came after a “long night of talks” mediated by Washington. “Congratulations to both countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence,” he wrote on Truth Social.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement would also lead to broader talks at a neutral site, but Indian officials have pushed back on that claim. “There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place,” sources told India Today.

Jaishankar confirmed that India and Pakistan had directly worked out the understanding. “India has consistently maintained a firm and uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It will continue to do so,” he said.

Chellaney in an earlier interview to CNBC-TV18 cautioned against mistaking short-term military strikes for lasting security gains. “You could kill a thousand terrorists, and Pakistan, the world’s biggest terrorism factory, would produce more. These are disposable assets for their military.”