India, has all along been impressing upon Pakistan to strengthen neighbourly relations and has been offering all types of co-operation to that country in respect of keeping borders free from tensions and escalations. This stand has remained consistent irrespective of which party’s Government was ruling India. On the other hand, unprovoked shelling and firing along LoC and even International Border targeting even civilian population has remained the policy of Pakistan irrespective of whichever Government was there in power. However, an act of a great positive development towards easing tensions on borders , that of issuing of a joint statement by Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both the countries to ”strictly observe all agreements, understandings , and cease firing along and all other sectors on the Line of Control (LoC)” with immediate effect , can only be welcome and appreciated. It is worth noting that the DGMOs of both the countries agreed further that ”each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence , can be addressed” in principle. We can only wish and hope that such understanding and agreeing to address each other’s issues cordially and peacefully without disturbing the equations of calm on the LoC, worked for future years to usher in an era of no ceasefire violations and conflicts having, at the outset, telling effect on the civilian population who become immediate victims of such border violations. There was an agreement to this effect already that of ceasefire agreements of 2003 which has all along been violated by Pakistan ”lavishly”. We recall how the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee took a bold and unilateral initiative to build bridges of friendship by travelling in a bus to Lahore in 1999 which resulted in the ‘Lahore Declaration’ where both sides reaching a consensus on making ‘joint efforts’ for peace and stability not only between the two countries but in South Asia. We soon saw Kargil war thrust on us by Pakistan thus tearing every provision of the Lahore Declaration to shreds, the mastermind behind sabotaging peace process was General Parvez Musharraf. Again in 2001 Agra Treaty, despite two days hectic deliberations, the same was again aborted by Pakistan where India stressed upon honouring the tenets of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 between the two countries which broadly dealt with resolving all issues bi-laterally and in the spirits of peace, friendship and co-operation. In short, many agreements, treaties, joint declarations and the like between the two countries were never honoured let alone implemented by Pakistan , instead it kept on sponsoring, funding, training and indoctrinating young people to take to arms to indulge in a terror war against India which continues even now. We have seen that in spite of international isolation on account of sponsoring terrorism and being penalised continuously by FATF, it continues with its agenda of terror, sending armed infiltrators into Jammu and Kashmir by employing all means including providing cover of firing to them to facilitate intrusion, digging tunnels, using drones etc being other tactics. However, if better sense has dawned in Pakistani establishment now for deciding to keep the LoC free of escalations and tensions and consequently armies of both the countries agreeing in principle to observe strictly all agreements and understanding in respect of complete cease firing along the LoC, it is a step much awaited and in the right direction. That, this ‘understanding ‘ is scheduled to be effective with immediate effect can only add lustre to this attempt of truce. The understanding and the realisation of the importance of truce along the borders related to reviewing the entire situation in an atmosphere of free, frank and ”cordial” atmosphere between the concerned military authorities of both the sides can pave ways for further understanding on wider base to lend credence to peace and tranquillity. Mutually ”beneficial and sustainable peace” which has been aspired for under this new understanding, undoubtedly is beneficial for both the countries, agreed that India emerging as a military might and an economic power in the region has advantages and the political will to meet any eventuality but who would not give peace and tranquillity every type of preference and all support ? That hotlines and flag meetings and other wherewithal of existing mechanism is sought to be made use of should an eventuality so demand to douse immediately any untoward incident or act of provocation on the border, can guarantee for the success on perpetual basis of the said fresh initiative. We have seen how armies of China and India after a 9 months long standoff withdrew their armies and weapons from north and south banks of Pongong Tso areas in the high altitude region of Ladakh and the agreement to follow ceasefire pacts by both India and Pakistan on the LoC is no mean development and could well be seen in that context to
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