Fourteen years down the line, the Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan met for the first time to talk of modalities how tension, firing and infiltration at the LoC can be controlled and the cease fire agreement of 2003 revived. Lt. Gen. Bhatia from Indian side and Maj. Gen. Aamer Riaz from Pakistani side met at the Pakistani side of Wagah border and deliberated for two hours on the issue of eschewing firing and tension on the border. Obviously the main concern of Indian side was to notify Pakistan that Pak military was lending full support and logistics to the infiltrators in their recurrent bids to sneak into Indian side for unleashing violence and terrorism in Kashmir. Adhering to its time tested tactics and traditional mindset, Pakistani side was not prepared to entertain the Indian accusation that Pakistan army was involved in assisting infiltration bids of her terrorists. Pakistan’s patent argument is that those who want to cross the LoC clandestinely are non-state actors. India has sufficiently proved through various dependable evidences including video recording how Pakistani army has been effectively involved in giving cover to the infiltrates in their bid to sneak into Indian side. Lt. Gen. Bhatia presented detailed evidence in support of his contention which his counterpart could not refute. Anyway, the Pakistani side agreed to examine the plethora of evidence handed over to them and committed to put an end to any involvement of the army if he was convinced.
According to media reports, the meeting seems to have been held in friendly atmosphere and issues were discussed with all seriousness. In particular India raised the issue of the killing of five soldiers in Poonch sector in unprovoked firing from Pakistan side. It appears that both sides are committed to find ways and means that would help revive cease fire agreement of 2003 in letter and in spirit. It will be noted that India, before retaliating to Pakistani firing across LoC, usually cautioned Pakistani side that they were violating the cease fire agreement. In past two years Pakistani side has violated the cease fire agreement dozens of times thus making a mockery of a commitment that was made for ensuring no damage to innocent civilian life. One cannot say how much sincere Pakistan is in observing the clauses of cease fire in letter and in spirit. Past experience has shown that internal disorder in Pakistan always prompts her border forces to indulge in unprovoked firing and thus divert the attention of ordinary Pakistani citizen from critical domestic situation to ever volatile Kashmir issue and border tension which is a corollary to bi-lateral acrimony.
It has to be reminded that the prospect of DGMOs of two countries meeting to defuse tense situation along the LoC was taken at the highest level of two Prime Ministers who had met on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meeting in New York earlier this summer. India had made it clear to Pakistan that comprehensive talks could continue only if Pakistan stopped unprovoked firing on LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and refused every kind of support to the terrorists who are making repeated attempts of infiltrating into Indian territory. Though Pakistani Prime Minister had agreed to initiate peace talks on LoC through DGMOs, yet it is three months that there was no movement from Pakistani side in this regard. The Indian Prime Minister had at one time wondered why Pakistan was making inordinate delay in precipitating the meeting of DGMOs.
Evidently the deck cannot be cleared in one go. The two sides shall have to cover the ground step by step. What is of utmost importance is the sincerity of conducting these talks. Now that Pakistan has a new Commander-in-Chief in whose selection Pakistani Prime Minister had the last word, it is expected that he will carry forward the policy and vision of Mian Nawaz Sharif who has been repeatedly saying that the two countries have to live in peace and mutual understanding. It should be possible for the new C-in-C of Pakistan to exert restraining influence on hawkish elements in the army. The point is that Pakistan has also suffered in border clashes. This can be stopped and should be stopped. That is the essence of the meeting of the two sides at Wagah. The two senior officers will be meeting again and they will carry forward their deliberations. This generates hope among millions of people living along the border on both sides that peace shall prevail and they will not be forced to abandon their homes and hearths while bullets and bombs rain in profusion across the LoC.
It has also to be noted that trade across the LoC at identified check points also met with recession owing to escalating tension on the border. Trade between the two sides was a component of CBMs but if firing and infiltration continue, these measures cannot prove of much use. India has given proof of restraint and has been insisting that bilateral issues could be resolved only through talks and not through muscle power. We hope that Pakistani side comes to these important meetings with refreshed mind and vision.
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