By the Associated Press
Pakistan and India have agreed to stop trading artillery fire in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, and on Wednesday the situation was calm after months of routine skirmishes that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians.
An Indian man stands near marks on a wall caused by cross border firing, during a lull in shelling between India and Pakistan in Jora farm village, in Ranbir Singh Pura district, India, Wednesday, May 30, 2018. . (AP Photo/Channi Anand/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Pakistan’s military said late Tuesday that local generals reached the understanding using a special hotline set up to defuse tensions in Kashmir, which is split between Indian and Pakistani zones of control. Both nuclear-armed powers claim Kashmir in its entirety, and the territorial dispute has ignited two wars between Pakistan and India since they gained independence in 1947.
Both sides “agreed to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation, ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders,” the Pakistani military said in a statement.
It said that if future violence occurs in the disputed region, “restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilization of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local commander’s level.”
The Indian army confirmed the agreement, saying both sides had pledged to “undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation to ensure peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders.”
The two sides also agreed to fully implement a 2003 cease-fire that has been repeatedly violated.
Tensions have soared in recent weeks, as both sides have launched artillery assaults across the Line of Control dividing the region. Each side has accused the other of starting the hostilities in violation of the 2003 accord.
On the Indian side, the fighting has driven people from villages along the border, and government buildings have been converted into temporary shelters. Houses have been damaged, and dozens of schools in villages along the frontier have been closed, with authorities advising residents to stay indoors.
The shelling has cast a pall over the holy month of Ramadan in the mostly Muslim region. The shelling typically flares up in the pre-dawn hours, when families are having a meal known as “suhoor” ahead of the daytime fast.
India says 25 civilians and 18 soldiers have been killed this year in over 800 cease-fire violations initiated by Pakistan.
Pakistan accuses Indian forces of more than 1,050 cease-fire violations this year, resulting in the deaths of 28 civilians and injuries to 117 others.
Sheikh Abdul Qayoom, an analyst based in Srinagar, on the Indian side, said the latest cease-fire is unlikely to hold unless the two countries come to a broader agreement on Kashmir, something that has eluded them for decades.
“India and Pakistan have always agreed to cease fire after a cycle of violence, but that in itself has been a sporadic thing, it has been an episodic peace between these two countries, then they return back to violence,” he said.
Residents on both side of the Line of Control nevertheless welcomed the announcement and expressed hope the peace would hold.
“This is exactly what people on both sides want, peace is the desire of all people,” said Tariq Mir, a businessman living on the Pakistani side.
Sharafat Hussain, a lawyer in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, said both sides should adhere to the cease-fire. “They should look to resolving problems through dialogue, as gunfire is not the solution.”
Sahil Nazir, a resident of Srinagar, said the latest cease-fire was a “good announcement” that must be implemented on the ground. “Guns should be silenced on both sides and borders should stay calm.”