Pakistan

Pakistan, India to hold flag meeting at LoC today

Indian defence ministry says field commanders from both sides will discuss modalities to defuse border tensions

Web Desk September 21, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan and India will hold a brigadier-level flag meeting on the Poonch Sector of the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday, in a bid to restore the ‘sanctity’ of the ceasefire.

“Ceasefire violations have escalated in the last few days, resulting in large number of civilian causalities and collateral damage to properties. The field commanders from both sides will discuss modalities to defuse tense situation on the border,’’ Indian defence ministry spokesperson Colonel SD Goswami told Indian Express.

Read: Pakistan, India agree to stop ceasefire violations at working boundary

The flag meeting at Chakkan Da Bagh crossing point between the two sides last took place in January 2014.

The meeting comes days after a meeting between director general (DG) of Pakistan Rangers and India's Border Security Force to restore ceasefire at the working boundary to save lives of innocent civilians.

The breakthrough came at the bi-annual meeting between Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF). The meeting was held under a ‘cordial atmosphere’ with both sides also agreeing to carryout joint investigations of future ceasefire violations.

Read: Ceasefire violations: Indian envoy summoned to lodge protest

Indian authorities also agreed to enhance communication via multiple modes at all possible levels to maintain peace on working boundary.

After Pakistan strongly raised the issue of killing of Rangers personnel during flag meeting, Director General BSF assured that no such incident would reoccur in the future. Both sides also reached consensus to move forward while agreeing to conduct joint investigations if any such incident occurred in the future. Refuting the allegations levied by BSF that Pakistan provides support to people crossing into India illegally, Pakistan Rangers reiterated its stance that it does not support any border crossing as a policy.

Read: DG-level talks: Armed exchanges along LoC, WB Pakistan’s top concern

However, despite the agreement, ceasefire violations continue at the LoC and Working Boundary.

This article originally appeared on Indian Express.

COMMENTS (4)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply Jabbar Saheb I have to point out that you do not seem to fully abreast with the sequence of events. Long before the elections, through mistreatment and not giving Bengalese their due share in government despite them being in majority, Ayub Khan had already alienated the Bengalese, giving them a cause to separate However, due to public protests and unrest over other issues, Ayub Khan was forced to relinquish power, which he transferred to General Yahya Khan. It was Gen. Yahya Khan who held the elections in 1970 and he holds responsibility for subsequent events. Including non-transfer of power to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who had secured a substantial overall majority in the elections on all Pakistan basis. Still, it is a fact that India did send its forces across the international border, and into what was then East Pakistan, and India definitely had no business doing that. Also, my views about wars and Kashmir are clearly stated in my earlier comment. And as for Narindra Modi, his animosity towards Muslims was clearly demonstrated by the part he played in anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat, while he was the chief minister there. As a matter of fact, it was because of his role in the massacre that the United States refused him an American visa earlier on when he was not the prime minister. However, for peace and prosperity in the region, we have to get over the bitter past and make a fresh start. The westerners had fought world wars, but forgetting the bitter past, they are all now on the best of terms with each other which benefits them all. Even Japan has forgiven United States for dropping atom bombs on it. It is also about time for India and Pakistan to get over the bitter past and live together in peace and harmony like decent human beings and helpful neighbours and use our scarce resources for the welfare of the masses who need better than what they get, and that goes for both India and Pakistan. You seem to be the one for peace between Pakistan and India and for that reason, I thought it appropriate to further explain my views. I hope we understand each other better now. Best regards S.R.H. Hashmi Karachi

Barat | 9 years ago | Reply We In India, have given up on Pakistan Send a terrorist into our country, and we will fire across the LoC . Stupidity in Pakistan is bottomless

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Abdul Jabbar - Indian | 9 years ago | Reply Mr. Hashmi... Blaming India on Bangladesh is unreasonable. Trouble started when the won election and Ayub Khan did not transfer the power to them. They asked for separation. The present taliban problem was your unnecessary involvement in Afghan affairs. You thought supporting Afghan pusthu people can influence and control Afghan Government. All failed. Other one is supporting unwinning war against India for Kashmir. Huge resources and energy spend for huge army which money could have used for Pakistani peoples education, factories, employment etc. Not single country in the world supporting Pakistan on Kashmir including Muslim countries. At any near future I don't see winning a war and taking over Kashmir. It is time to accept LOC and go ahead with prosperous Pakistan.

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply If the Major-General level meetings in Delhi recently failed to resolve the issue of unprovoked cross-border firing by Indians, Flag Meeting of officers a rank lower could hardly work wonders. However, there is no harm trying. We may as well remember that this was madah (female) Indra who, as Indian prime minister, dismembered Pakistan though the real fault was that of West Pakistanis, especially Ayub Khan who, with his mistreatment of Bengalese, had created circumstances which forced Bengalese - who had opted of their own free will to join Pakistan - to change their mind and go their separate ways. And this time, we have a NAR (male)-INDRA – Narindra, so we should expect bigger problems but this time round, we are lucky to have nuclear bombs, thanks to God Almighty, who gifted us Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, I hope Nariindra Modi realizes that the war between two neighbours will not remain limited and will definitely escalate into a nuclear confrontation, causing widespread death and destruction on both sides of the border. And the two neighbours, both poor ones, would be better off cooperating with each other for their progress and prosperity. And with better options available, why opt for mutual destruction. And Pakistan should also know better than keep singing the old song, parrot-like, not realizing that whether we like it or not, it has become obsolete and out-dated, and is no longer in line with the present-day realities. And that an approach, more like that of Pervez Musharraf’s foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri could provide a better hope for solving the Kashmir issue, which is the major bone of contention between the two countries and over which the two neighbours have already fought a few futile, wasteful wars. Karachi

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