On February 24, 2021, both the neighbors and hostile countries, Pakistan and India agreed to abide by the ceasefire agreement on Line of Control, which was first signed in 2003. The latest ceasefire implementation is the outcome of the hotline contact among the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two countries. The hotline contact is operational since 1987, through which the army officials of the two countries contact each other. Before the DGMO conversation, earlier in February, the Chief of Pakistan forces talked about the peaceful co-existence between the two neighboring countries. He said, “Pakistan and India must resolve the long-standing issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and a peaceful manner”.
The ceasefire agreement was signed in 2003 and was successful until 2006. During this time, not a single bullet was fired from the opposing side. But after it, the agreement has been frequently violated, mostly from the Indian side. Indian Army has mostly targeted the civilians, whereas the target of Pakistan is the military installation of India. According to DG ISPR, Maj General Babar Iftikhar, the LOC ceasefire agreement has been violated 13,500 times and has taken the lives of 310 people, and has injured 1,600 citizens. He said that 92% of incidents occurred between 2014 and 2021.
The suggestion by the Pakistan Army chief for the peaceful co-existence and the following conversation by the military officials in a tense situation among the two countries is a welcoming note. Such moves, which is rarely occurred, must be pursued by the military officials in the future, which may possibly open the door for the negotiations between the two opposing States and avoid a huge conflict on the border side. And it is these open channels through which peace can be achieved between the two states and Kashmir. Like Nelson Mandella had said, “Negotiations and discussions are the greatest weapons we have for promoting peace and development”.
Nevertheless, for a time being, people alongside the LOC will feel relaxed after the cessation. But the history of frequent violations suggests that this is not the permanent solution to Kashmiri’s cause, it is temporary. The people who have suffered more throughout history deserve more than this. Until and unless both the States didn’t allow them to define its status according to the UN resolutions, the plight of Kashmir will remain incomplete.
