Pakistan asked India to stop targeting civilian populations in villages along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary as four civilian were and two other people were injured in intensified mortar shelling by the Indian Border Security Force on border villages in number of sectors along the Sialkot Working Boundary. Pakistan maintained that in order to maintain peace along the Working Boundary, Indian military must stop targeting innocent civilians of villages living along the bordering areas.
Foreign Office revealed on Monday, at least six civilians including women and children were killed by Indian forces firing in Nakyal and Jandrot sector. It is pertinent to mention that 2003 Ceasefire Understanding binds both neighbouring countries to investigate unabated ceasefire violations. On the Indian side, Modi government also claimed that eight civilians were killed in Ramgarh and Rajouri sectors and at least 22 people were injured in the daylong firing by Pakistani troops.
Relations between the two countries became tense after India blamed Pakistan for attack on army base in September in which 19 Indian solder were killed but Pakistan termed the claim baseless. According to reports in this year India has committed 178 ceasefire violations. But after the escalation in tension between two countries, India has also escalated ceasefire violations. Tensions were already high before the army base attack over the July 8 death of a popular militant leader, with nearly 90 people killed in clashes with security forces in Indian-held Kashmir since then.
Aggressive policy of violating ceasefire can also be seen as a result of Pakistan’s hard stance on Indian brutalities in held Kashmir. After recent atrocities of Indian forces in held Kashmir, Pakistan successfully highlighted the issue at international forums. In result many international human rights organizations including United Nations condemned human rights violations and sufferings of people of Indian occupied Kashmir. Indian government in a desperate response tried to use Balochistan card and leveled allegations that Pakistan is violating basic human rights in the largest province of the country. Last week the Modi government said it was expelling a Pakistani visa official for suspected spying, with Islamabad responding by sending back an Indian diplomat in an apparent tit-for-tat move.
It is evident that relations between two rival countries have touched perhaps lowest point in recent times, but constant ceasefire violations on LoC and Working Boundary not only killing civilians but also becoming reason of further escalation of tension. Despite heightened security protocol and all other measures, there seems no end to these border skirmishes. On both sides of the border, it should be realized that border skirmishes though could not be termed as full-scale war but incidents of continued unprovoked firing can lead both countries to a bigger tragedy. There is dire need that both countries must find a permanent solution to this deadly engagement in which civilians are being killed. There are numerous examples in the world that countries have solved bitter hostilities by negotiations.
Continued border skirmishes can’t be termed as full-scale war but it can lead both countries to a bigger tragedy.
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