India advised not to ‘misconstrue’ LoC truce

DG ISPR says Gen Narvane’s claim ceasefire holding as Delhi negotiated from position of strength misleading

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Army on Friday rejected the Indian army chief’s claim that New Delhi negotiated a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region from a position of strength, stressing that no sides should “misconstrue” the truce as their strength or other’s weakness.

The chief military spokesperson in a tweet said Indian army chief General MM Narvane’s statement claiming that India negotiated the ceasefire deal from a “position of strength” was “misleading”.

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar, through his official Twitter handle, stated that Pakistan had only agreed to the ceasefire due to its "concerns for the safety of the people of Kashmir living on both sides of the LoC."

“The Indian COAS claiming LoC ceasefire holding because they negotiated from a position of strength is clearly misleading. It was agreed only due to Pak’s concerns for the safety of people of Kashmir living on both sides of LoC. No side should misconstrue it as their strength or other’s weakness,” General Babar wrote.

Both sides renewed the ceasefire along the LoC in February last year after years of bloody clashes along the de facto border that divides Kashmir between the two. The ceasefire understanding was reached as a result of back channel talks between the two sides.

Both sides at the time put out a rare joint statement announcing the restoration of the ceasefire while also agreeing to address each other’s concerns.

Since then, the ceasefire is holding between the two-nuclear armed neighbours and there has been no serious violations from either side. Officials said both sides despite the war of words committed to the truce as it is mutually beneficial for both the countries.

It appears that the Indian army chief’s statement was meant for domestic compulsion. When India and Pakistan were negotiating a ceasefire deal, Indian troops were busy dealing with the threat posed by China’s military in Ladakh region.

The long border standoff with China is believed to have compelled India to reach out to Pakistan for a ceasefire. It is said that the Indian military leadership appreciated Pakistani Army for not taking advantage of the Indo-China border standoff; something that helped the two sides renew a 2003 ceasefire understanding.

Read: Pakistan's first-ever security policy a step in right direction: COAS

Both sides were contemplating other confidence-building measures in the follow up to the ceasefire but progress could not be made through back channels.

Recently, Pakistan’s renewed businessman and industrialist Mian Muhammad Mansha claimed that bank channels between Pakistan and India were still active and if steps were taken the Indian prime minister could visit Pakistan within a month.

Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar at a weekly news briefing said Pakistan remained deeply concerned about the worsening human rights and security situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which continues to be under military and police siege.

“Extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiris continue with impunity. Hardly a day passes without any news of a fake encounter or a so-called cordon-and-search operation by the Indian occupation forces. Since January 1, at least 24 Kashmiris have been martyred in this unabated reign of terror,” he told reporters here.

He urged the international community to stop the wanton oppression and persecution of the besieged Kashmiris under illegal occupation.

“Tomorrow on February 5 - Kashmir Solidarity Day will be observed in Pakistan, Kashmir and world over to reiterate our resolve to stand by our Kashmiri brothers and sisters and to continue to extend all possible support to them till the realisation of their right to self-determination,” he said.

He said the foreign minister had also addressed a letter to the president of the UN Security Council and the UN secretary general, and we have also briefed the P-5 countries’ diplomatic missions here in Islamabad on the grave situation in IIOJK, drawing attention to the special responsibility of the UNSC towards a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with its own resolutions.

The international community must take cognisance of the plight of Kashmiris, hold India to account for its widespread brutalities and human rights violations in IIOJK, and play its due role for resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UNSC resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, the spokesperson demanded.