PaK legislator welcomes border truce

A ruling PML-N lawmaker in Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) on Thursday welcomed the thaw in artillery duels across the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (which Pakistan calls Working Boundary), following a hotline contact between top military officials from Pakistan and India.

Syed Muhammad Ali Raza Bukhari, who comes from the remote Haveli district that lies along the LoC, however, stressed that the construction of community bunkers should be initiated and completed on a priority basis.

   

Speaking to journalists at an iftaar party, he recalled that for quite some time the situation along the restive dividing line had returned to pre-ceasefire agreement era, as Indian troops were resorting to heavy shelling almost daily, causing civilian casualties.

“Particularly, after September 2016 hardly any day passed without unprovoked Indian shelling unleashing hellish situation in areas along the LoC,” he said.

He noted that Indian forces were not only using heavy weapons but they were also sniping with heavy calibre weapons and targeting innocent people busy in their routine life.

“That’s why we feel relieved with this development,” he said of the latest understanding between the two sides. 

On Tuesday, the Directors General Military Operations of India and Pakistan agreed to undertake “sincere measures” to improve the existing situation ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the LoC and IB.

The officers also agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and in spirit forthwith and to ensure that henceforth the ceasefire will not be violated by both sides.

“The agreement between the two sides regarding implementation of the November 2003 truce agreement according to its true spirit is landmark development to mitigate the sufferings of hundreds of thousands of border area residents,” said Bukhari.

“Indeed, its credit goes to the Pakistan army, which has always exercised restraint unlike India that has always breached ceasefire agreement under domestic political needs,” he added.

The PaK lawmaker maintained that Indian shelling was also aimed at frightening PaK’s civilian population along the LoC into leaving their homes.

“In fact India knows that the civilian population on our side is the unsalaried army and first defence line of Pakistan, which has frustrated her hegemonic designs with remarkable courage and bravery,” he said.

He said though apparently the hotline contact between the two sides had led to a rare friendliness, yet Pakistan “should not take any chances in view of India’s track record”.

“The authorities concerned should in the meanwhile concentrate on timely implementation of measures that can minimise losses in the event of resumption of ceasefire violations,” he said.

In this regard, he stressed that the already scheduled construction of community bunkers should be expedited, instead of being put on the hold under any “misconception.”

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