The ministry of defence on Thursday announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to “strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021.”
The ministry of defence stated the director-generals of military operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan held discussions over the established mechanism of hotline contact. “The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and all other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere. 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,” a ministry of defence statement said.
Both sides reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding, the MoD statement added.
The statement is being considered an attempt by both nations to adhere to the ceasefire on the LoC that was agreed in 2003. Ceasefire violations between India and Pakistan have increased in recent years.
In December, data from security agencies showed Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 5,100 times, the highest in nearly 18 years. The violations claimed 36 lives and injured over 130.