New Delhi: In a significant development, India and Pakistan on Thursday agreed to open more channels of communication for resolving all issues of utmost importance between the two sides, increase bilateral engagements and maintain peace along the international border.
The development comes as India and Pakistan began Director General-level talks on Thursday morning during which the top military commanders from both sides agreed not to allow escalation of tensions along the Line of Control (LoC).
Responding to India’s appeal for peace, the Pakistan Army pledged that its troops will observe ceasefire strictly and exercise restraint in the days to come.
On Wednesday evening, a 16-member delegation of the Pakistan Rangers arrived in New Delhi for the talks. The team is led by Major General Umar Farooq Burki, Director General of the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab).
From the Indian side, the delegation for the talks is led by Border Security Force (BSF) Director General DK Pathak and 22 other officers.
Asked if the talks will reduce tension between the two countries, Pathak said, “That is the objective for talks.”
The main agenda of the talks – which was held after a gap of over one-and-a-half years – was ceasefire violations.
On Wednesday, at least two BSF personnel were wounded in firing in Nowgam sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani Army also fired at Indian positions on Wednesday along the LoC in Poonch district.
Till June this year, there have been 199 ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Official figures reveal that around 430 ceasefire violations occurred on the International Border while 153 violations were reported on the LoC in 2014. In 2013, it was 347.
Pakistan had in August sent confirmation and agenda for these DG-level talks despite it calling off the meeting of the NSAs of the two countries a fortnight ago after India made it clear that Kashmiri separatist leaders would not be allowed to meet Pakistani NSA Sartaj Aziz during his visit.
The meeting between the Rangers and the BSF was one of the three key meetings agreed upon between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Nawaz Sharif when they met in Ufa in Russia in July.