Thousands head home after Kashmir truce
Calm returns to border after shelling killed 12, wounded many on both sides in recent weeks
Thousands of people from Jammu and Kashmir headed back to their homes near the line of control with Pakistan yesterday, after their armies agreed to stop exchanging artillery fire following repeated recent clashes.
More than 50,000 people had taken shelter in schools and colleges in Jammu and Kashmir, away from the shelling that officials say killed 12 people and wounded many more on both sides over the past few weeks.
India and Pakistan claim Jammu and Kashmir in full and have fought two of their three wars over the region since their separation in 1947. On Tuesday, their armies agreed to “fully implement” a 2003 ceasefire agreement.
“In case of any issue, restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilisation of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local commander’s level,” Pakistan’s military said in a statement.
Bacchan Lal, the headman of Abdullian village in Jammu and Kashmir, who has been living in a college with 350 other people over the past two weeks, said such agreements rarely last long.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who runs the state with the support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party, welcomed the agreement. “This brings great relief to the people residing in the vicinity,” she said on Twitter. “Peace on our borders is the first essential step to a larger understanding and I truly hope it sustains.”
In a major breakthrough after months of crossborder hostilities, India and Pakistan have agreed to restore peace along the border by honouring the 2003 ceasefire agreement.
“The officials from India and Pakistan have agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit and to ensure that the ceasefire agreement will not be violated by both sides from now on,” the Indian army said.
The army said it was mutually agreed that in case of any issue, restraint would be exercised and the matter be resolved through utilisation of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local commanders’ level.
“The hotline mechanism was initiated by Pakistan DirectorGeneral of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza with his Indian counterpart Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan. Both the DGMOs reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir,” the army said.
According to an army spokesperson, Lt Gen Chauhan “immediately” agreed with the Pakistani proposal to improve the situation along the borders.
Many casualties
Political analyst Vivek Mishra said the talks came after repeated ceasefire violations on the borders which caused many civilian casualties in the last two months.
“The announcement fits the pattern of peace between the two countries. But the key issue is whether infiltration from across the LoC stops. For the two countries the initiative to honour the 2003 agreement is a major step forward in the peace process,” Mishra said.
This ceasefire announcement follows Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s May 16 announcement that security forces would terminate offensive operations in Kashmir during the month of Ramadan.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Pakistan carried out more than 1,088 ceasefire violations along LoC and IB in the first five months of 2018.
The firing claimed 36 lives on the Indian side and left more than 120 injured.
The routine talks between India and Pakistan were held between senior military officers of the two countries on May 22. Before that, hotline talks were held between the two DGMOs on April 27.
At that time, Lt Gen Chauhan had told his Pakistani counterpart that firing by Indian troops was only carried out in response to support given by Pakistani army to terrorists.
Pakistan claims that India last year committed 1,881 ceasefire violations — the highest number of breaches since the 2003 ceasefire understanding. Those violations left 87 dead on the Pakistani side, including civilian and military casualties. This year 1,050 ceasefire violations have been committed by India in just five months leaving 28 civilians dead, reports say.