Armies of India, Pak agree to stop ceasefire violations along LoC from Feb 24 midnight

New Delhi, Feb 25: In a surprise development, Armies of Indian and Pakistan announced on Thursday that they had begun observing a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir from the midnight of February 24.

 

A joint statement was issued by the armies of both countries stating that the move was a discussion between India’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen Paramjit Singh Sangha, and his Pakistani counterpart, Maj Gen Nauman Zakaria, over their established telephone hotline.

 

 

It should be noted that this comes amid when the Indian military is largely focused on the standoff with China in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), since May last year. During their discussion on the hotline, the two sides "reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and all other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere", the joint statement said. 

 

"Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021," the statement added.

 

The DGMOs also "agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence" in the interest of "achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders”. Both sides further said that "existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be used to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding".

 

Troops from the two sides have traded fire since relations between the two countries hit a low after the Pulwama suicide attack in February 2019 and India’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019.

 

India and Pakistan had agreed along with a ceasefire on the LoC in November 2003 but it has been frequently violated in recent years.