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India, Pak DGMOs agree over ceasefire on IB, LoC in J&K

P L Uniyal. Dated: 5/30/2018 3:20:34 PM

NEW DELHI, May 29: In what will bring much relief to residents of border areas of India and Pakistan, the armies of the two countries on Tuesday agreed to maintain ceasefire along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir. They agreed to ensure peace and avoid hardships to civilians.
In the past two weeks, continuous firing across the acrimonious divide affected villagers on both sides. Thousands have had to be relocated and moved to safer places.
The Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of Pakistan, Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza called up his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Anil Chauhan on the existing telephonic hotline mechanism at 6 PM this evening. The hotline connects Indian army headquarters at south block here with Pakistan army headquarters at Rawalpindi.
An Indian army statement tonight said, “The DGMOs reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border in J&K."
Indian army DGMO agreed with the proposal to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation.
Both the DGMOs agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit forthwith and to ensure that henceforth the Ceasefire would not be violated by both sides.
It was also mutually agreed that in case of any issue, restraint would be exercised and the matter would be resolved through utilisation of existing mechanisms of Hotline contact and flag meetings at the border at the level of local commanders, the Indian army said.
On May 23, the Ministry of External Affairs gave out figures that Pakistan carried out more than 1,088 ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Boundary during 2018. Thirty-six people have died on the Indian side and more than 120 injured.
Pakistan's foreign office on May 25 said during 2018 Indian forces have already carried out more than 1,050 ceasefire violations resulting in the killing of 28 innocent civilians, while injuring 117 others.
In the meanwhile, in Islamabad, the media wing of the Pakistan army also issued a similar statement which said that Pakistan and Indian Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO) today agreed to undertake "sincere measures" to improve the prevailing security situation on the Line of Control.
“A special hotline contact was established between the two top military officials today,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army, said in a statement.
“Both DGMOs reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control and Working Boundary and mutually agreed to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders,” the statement said.
“They agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit and to ensure that the ceasefire agreement will not be violated by both sides from now on,” it said.
They also decided to follow restraint and address issue through existing mechanisms.
"Both DGMOs also 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 commander's level," the statement added.