Détente on LoC and IB

After increasingly investing in hostilities on the borders and suffering heavy losses in men and in  its built up positions at the hands of Indian forces manning borders- the LoC as well as  International Border, good sense has finally dawned on Pakistan to refer back to 2003 ceasefire understanding and give restraint and relative calm a practical shape.
A major step towards a détente and a truce but decidedly not peace, with intent to implementing 2003 ceasefire agreement on both the LoC and the IB in Jammu and Kashmir, which during the past few weeks witnessed a spate of senseless escalations by Pakistani Rangers and other Pakistani forces, must be welcome .  It may be recalled that the 2003 ceasefire agreement which was announced , strangely again by Pakistan when Mir Zaffar Ullah was the Prime Minister  and  was endorsed by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee  has this time again been sought to be revoked. A relative peace prevailed over the borders for nearly eight years giving much relief to the border people who ultimately become the victims of Pakistani misadventures.
It may be recalled that as many as more than 1090 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border had been carried out by Pakistan which claimed thirty six precious lives and more than 120 persons getting wounded on the Indian side. This was corroborated by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
It was, therefore, Pakistan which later could not put up with peace on the borders. India, as is well known, never indulges in any type of hostilities and border violations. It has all along been aspiring for and asking the belligerent neighbor to follow suit to maintain peace and tranquility on the borders. It, therefore, could well be inferred that India shall, as before, abide by the covenants of this truce provided Pakistan does not develop any ambitions extraneous to the said agreement shortly or after some time. It is not that a pessimist view is expressed but it is always found that Pakistan has never kept its word.
It is surprising that all of a sudden, Pakistan DGMO called up his Indian counterpart in the evening on May 29 wherein the situation along the LoC and the IB in Jammu and Kashmir was reviewed. Pakistani side mooted the proposal for undertaking “sincere measures” to improve the existing situation on the borders.  Indian side agreed with the proposal to improve the situation to ensure peace and avoidance of hardships to civilians along the borders.  Border people are always affected due to unprovoked hostilities by Pakistan along the borders and this time, at the peak of Pakistani shelling and firing, thousands of border residents had to leave their hearths and homes to be relocated to comparative safer places, thus facing dislocations.
Let it be hoped that the ceasefire understanding of 2003 becomes a basis of ensuring maintenance of peace and relative calm on the borders. While India is conventionally committed to let peace prevail on permanent basis, it is expected that Pakistan implements it in letter and spirit. It is also hoped that these borders shall not be allowed by Pakistan to facilitate infiltration of armed terrorists to this side to foment trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. That too would constitute a grave violation of the sanctity of borders.  Various layers of “authority” in Pakistan should not directly or indirectly sabotage this truce as continuous escalations suit their anti India agenda.

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