New Delhi: Top India and Pakistan army commanders on Tuesday spoke over a special hotline contact and committed to peace on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir amid persistent crackling of gunfire and mounting casualties, especially on the Pakistani side.
“The hotline mechanism was initiated by Pakistan Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza at 6 pm with his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Anil Chauhan.
“Both the DGMOs reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir,” an army spokesperson said.
Lt Gen Chauhan, the spokesperson said, “agreed with the proposal (from his Pakistani counterpart) to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation to ensure peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders”.
“The Indian Army DGMO agreed with the proposal to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation to ensure peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders,” said an official statement.
“Both the DGsMO agreed to ensure that henceforth the ceasefire will not be violated by both sides. It was also mutually agreed that in case of any issue, restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilization of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local commanders’ level,” it added.
“It was also mutually agreed that 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 commanders’ level.”
The Pakistan Army in an identical statement said a special hotline contact was established with the Indian DGMO “to ensure the ceasefire will not be violated by both sides”.
The latest DGMO level talks came after repeated ceasefire violations on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir that caused many civilian casualties earlier this month.
Similar talks were held between the two countries on April 27.
The External Affairs Ministry on May 23 said Pakistan had carried out more than 1,088 ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border in the first five months of 2018. The border shooting has claimed 36 lives on the Indian side and left more than 120 injured.
Tuesday’s pact will come as a major relief for civilians living in border hamlets, thousands of whom have been displaced due to the fierce cross-border firings. It also comes soon after the government declared a unilateral suspension of counter-insurgency operations in J&K during Ramzan.