File photo. Narinder Nanu—AFP
In joint statement both nations’ director-generals of military operations agree to resolve any issues through hotline contact, border flag meetings
Pakistan and India on Thursday issued a rare joint statement confirming that the director-generals of military operations of the neighboring nations had reviewed the situation along the Line of Control dividing Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to achieve “mutually beneficial and sustainable peace.”
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan’s armed forces, the discussion was conducted in a “free, frank and cordial atmosphere.” It said the meeting was conducted via the established mechanism of hotline contact.
“In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGsMO agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns, which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence,” read the statement. It said that both sides had agreed to strictly observe all existing agreements and cease fire along all sectors “with effect from midnight, Feb. 24/25, 2021.”
The statement concluded by noting that both sides had reiterated that “existing mechanism of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilized to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding.”
The DGsMo contact comes at a time when the Pakistan Army has reported a dramatic spike in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control. Both sides have alleged that ceasefire violations have been continuously rising in the past 6-7 years, with Islamabad claiming last year that Delhi had conducted over 3,000 ceasefire violations in 2020 alone.