Indian and Pakistani Armies Engage in Peace Talks Along LoC: Commitment to Uphold Ceasefire Agreement

Srinagar: On Friday, the Indian and Pakistani armies met along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. This meeting aimed to ease rising tensions after recent ceasefire violations, including gunfire and IED attacks.

The meeting took place at the Chakkan-Da-Bagh crossing and lasted for 75 minutes. Both sides discussed ways to maintain peace in line with the ceasefire agreement from 2021. Officials described the atmosphere as friendly, although they offered no further details about the discussions.

According to reports, the Indian delegation expressed strong concerns over recent cross-border incidents, which included unprovoked firing, infiltration attempts, and the smuggling of drugs and weapons.

Ceasefire violations have been infrequent since the agreement in February 2021. However, recent gunfire exchanges and a landmine explosion resulted in the deaths of two Indian soldiers earlier this month. Additional incidents on February 10 and 14 injured two more soldiers from Indian forces due to small arms fire and landmines.

The impact on the Pakistani side from Indian retaliatory actions isn’t fully known, but reports suggest they suffered significant casualties as well.

Security forces are maintaining high alert along the LoC and in the region. This vigilance is important, especially as traditional infiltration routes have remained open due to limited snowfall this winter.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently led security reviews focused on Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing a zero-tolerance approach towards infiltration and terrorism. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also held security meetings, directing local police and security forces to target terrorists and their networks.