In December last year, Pakistan and India had pledged to uphold the 2003 LoC ceasefire accord which had been left in tatters by repeated violations that year. The truce breaches had put the nascent bilateral peace dialogue on hold. The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries had agreed upon number of steps to keep the ceasefire accord intact. The meeting had taken place on the initiative of the political leadership of the two countries for ending tensions along the LoC. Ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border (IB) between Pakistan and India continue intermittently, with casualties reported on both sides. The unprovoked firing by Pakistan troops on the IB has been continuing for the past many weeks. The timings of these violations is as much questionable as the grounds for these unprovoked actions, besides pushing infiltrators. It is unfortunate that Pakistan is resorting to such tactics especially when both sides have suffered heavily in terms of human life and property during the recent floods. Breaching the ceasefire for the 17th time this month, Pakistan Rangers on Monday mid-night targeted 40 Border Out Posts and 25 border hamlets by resorting to heavy mortar shelling and firing along the International Border in Arnia sector. Women and children have been shifted to safer places with men folk left behind, streets are deserted with shops closed, most of the houses have shrapnel poke marked with broken glass panes, gates blown off, animals killed, vehicles damaged. A visit to these villages in Arnia tells the tale of devastation Pak firing has caused. Tuesday’s ceasefire violation by Pakistan as far as statistics is concerned is the 17th time this month and India has been maintaining stoic silence. From detection of tunnels on the International Border in Samba sector, Pakistan Foreign Minister Nisar Ali Khan declaring that Narendra Modi led government would destabilise the regional balance and Pak Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif appropriating Kashmir as Pakistan’s ‘jugular vein’ have already sent signals of its intentions to keep the summer heat on. It seems for Pakistan the only motive is to keep Kashmir and Jihad alive and own population’s focus diverted.
