Pakistan, India agree to enforce 2003 ceasefire in DGMOs hotline contact

RAWALPINDI: In a major development for peace in the region, Pakistan and India have agreed to strict enforcement of the ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC) and other border sectors, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of Pakistan and India have contacted and also discussed the existing mechanism of the hotline.

The DGMOs discussed the situation at the Line of Control and other border sectors in the contact, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The military officials of two sides held talks over the existing mechanism of the hotline contact and agreed to address the core issues and mutual reservations in the interest of the lasting peace, the ISPR stated.

The two sides reiterated strict implementation of the ceasefire agreements at the LoC and other border sectors from the midnight of February 24 and 25, ISPR said.

“The two sides also agreed to resolve any unexpected situation with the mechanism of the border flag meetings,” according to the statement.

Director General ISPR, Maj. General Babar Iftikhar in an exclusive conversation with the ARY News, has said that this contact exists between Pakistan and India since 1987.

“The DGMOs come into contact under a mechanism,” he said. “The two sides had reached to an understanding for ceasefire on the LoC in year 2003,” the ISPR chief said.

“The violations of the ceasefire on the LoC have increased since year 2014,” he stated.

Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar said that over 13,500 ceasefire violations held from year 2003 till now, in which 310 civilians were killed and around 1600 injured.

“The ratio of the ceasefire breaches has been 92 percent from the year 2014 till 2021,” General Iftikhar said.

“In the last four years 49 women and 36 children were martyred and 313 women injured in the ceasefire violations,” he said.

“In year 2019 maximum number of ceasefire violations held, while maximum lives lost in year 2018,” the DG ISPR said.

“In result of the current contact the ceasefire understanding of year 2003 will be implemented in letter and spirit,” he added.