Uneasy calm along Indo-Pak border after ceasefire violation
The recent ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district have left residents of border areas in fear, as they have witnessed similar cross-border firing countless times before an agreement was reached between India and Pakistan in 2021.
The areas along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir were once considered highly dangerous due to unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side, which could occur at any time of the day. Hundreds of lives have been lost in such ceasefire violations, despite both countries signing a ceasefire agreement in 2003.
While the Indian Army maintains dominance in areas along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts, Pakistani soldiers made an unusual attempt to intrude into Indian territory in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch on Tuesday. This led to intense cross-border firing, which was heard in nearby villages.
The incident brought back painful memories for residents of villages near the LoC, who have endured the consequences of such hostilities in the past.
Ramesh Kumar, former sarpanch of Deeing in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri, said that locals living close to the LoC are apprehensive that such incidents might become a regular occurrence, once again bringing misery into their lives.
“People living near the LoC have not only lost their loved ones in Pakistani shelling but also their cattle and homes. We are praying that these ceasefire violations, which were once frequent, do not become a regular feature again,” Kumar said.
On the intervening night of February 24 and 25, 2021, following talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan over a hotline, both countries agreed to renew the ceasefire agreement signed in 2003.
After the renewal of the agreement, there was an initial period of peace along the borders, during which even farmers whose land touches the zero line were allowed to cultivate it. However, since last year, there have been some ceasefire violations by the Pakistani side.
These recent incidents are not comparable to what the villages had witnessed before the 2021 ceasefire agreement. In 2018, there were 2,140 ceasefire violations; in 2019, the number rose to 3,479; and in 2020, ceasefire violations peaked at 5,133. However, after the 2021 agreement, only six ceasefire violations were reported that year.
A former sarpanch of Mendhar in Poonch, who wished to remain anonymous, urged the government to take strict measures to prevent Pakistani violations from becoming a common occurrence again.
“While the actions of the Pakistani Army are beyond the Indian government’s control, our forces should give a befitting reply to any ceasefire violation to ensure that these incidents do not cause damage to the locals living near the borders,” he said.
J & K