Landmark meeting: LoC peace agreed in rare Pak-India army tryst

DGMOs emphasise need to re-energise existing mechanisms along LoC.

ISLAMABAD:

Top military officials of the two nuclear armed neighbours agreed to defuse months-old tensions along the Line of Control by restoring the ceasefire, in a landmark meeting at the Wagah border on Tuesday.

Pakistan Army Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Aamer Riaz and his Indian counterpart Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia, who met for the first time in 14 years, decided to restore ceasefire by ‘re-energising existing mechanisms’.

The talks are part of the efforts from both the countries to defuse hostilities along the LoC. Lt Gen Bhatia who crossed over from the Attari border checkpost was received by Maj Gen Riaz.

In complete contrast to the recent flaring up of tensions, the DGMOs were seen smiling and shaking hands with each other before they began their crucial talks.

A joint statement issued after their discussions said the meeting was held in a ‘cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere’.

“Both DGsMO showed their commitment to maintain the sanctity and ceasefire on the LoC and agreed to re-energise the existing mechanisms,” the statement read.

The two sides also developed consensus to make hotline contact between the two DGsMO ‘more effective and result-oriented’.

It was also decided that both sides would inform each other if any innocent civilian inadvertently crossed the LoC, in order to ensure his/her early return.

“To carry forward the positive spirit of DGsMOs meeting, two flag meetings between Brigade Commanders will be held on the LoC in the near future to ensure maintenance of peace and tranquility along the LoC,” the statement said.

Tensions between the two neighbours had flared up in January and then in August this year when the two sides accused each other of violating ceasefire in the disputed region.

The ensuing clashes left a number of soldiers and civilians dead on both sides of the LoC.

Talks between the two DGsMOs took place as part of the agreement reached between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during their talks in New York on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly session in September.

A senior military official told The Express Tribune that it was a political decision to arrange the meeting of the DGsMOs.

“Both the civilian and the military leadership are on the same page as far as relations with India are concerned,” added the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

Although there are little chances of resumption of the stalled peace talks in the near future due to India’s preoccupation with the upcoming parliamentary elections, the United States is believed to have been pushing the two neighbours to remain engaged at a time when it is pulling out of Afghanistan.

Washington, which is thought to have encouraged the two sides to defuse LoC tensions, fears that any hostilities between the nuclear neighbors could undermine its efforts to stabilise Afghanistan.

A foreign office official hoped that the meeting would lead to resumption of composite dialogue, which India has so far refused to enter into due to what it claimed ‘slow progress’ to prosecute perpetrators of November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2013.