Day I: Peace gets a fillip as world watches

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript" src="Config?Configid=43376741"></script><br />NEW DELHI: From shelling and exchange of fire to distribution of sweets - that is the situation at the international border in <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/311625.cms" target="_blank">Kashmir</a> on Wednesday.<br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="26.6%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/323118.cms" alt="/photo/323118.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">An Indian farmer goes to work at a field near the Indo-Pak border.</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">As the Indian and Pakistani guns fell silent since midnight, the Indian Army hopes that the process would remain the same, leading to further normalisation of <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/298686.cms" target="_blank">bilateral relations</a>.<br /><br />Army spokesman Col Anil Shourie told timesofindia.com on Wednesday that there has been no firing whatsoever, not even celebration fire. <br /><br />S M Sahai, the police deputy inspector-general on the Jammu side of the <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/320621.cms" target="_blank">line of control</a>, was also quoted as saying that the last shots fired between the two armies along the LoC were at 7:30 am on Tuesday.<br /><br />Traditionally there is firing into the air on the occasion of Diwali and Eid.<br /><br />Reports from the border said Pak rangers exchanged greetings and baskets of sweets with BSF on the Wagah border.<br /><br />Lt Col Sher Zaman, 10 Satluj, Pak Rangers handed over sweets baskets to D K Sharma, Commandant, 19 Battalion from zero line and exchanged pleasantries. <br /><br />Sher Zaman talking to Indian media from across the border said, "the cheer and exuberance that Eid has brought should prevail in both countries." <br /><br />This is the first there is cessation of hostilities since Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced a unilateral ceasefire in the Valley in November 28, 2000, which was extended till May 23, 2001, the spokesman said.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">Directors-General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan, in the course of their weekly conversation on Tuesday, agreed to observe a ceasefire with effect from Tuesday midnight along the international border, LOC and Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in Jammu & Kashmir.<br /><br />This includes the 198-km stretch international border (IB), the 740-km line of control (LoC) and the 150-km agreed ground position line (AGPL) in the Siachen Glacier where forces from the two sides are ranged against each other.<br /><br />However, India has warned Pakistan that its security forces would continue to shoot at militants trying to sneak into Indian territory.<br /><br />Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal hailed Pakistan''s moves towards <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/283193.cms" target="_blank">peace</a>, but said dialogue depended on an end to the infiltration of Islamic insurgents. Tensions between the countries have been easing since Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee offered a "hand of friendship" to Pakistan in April.<br /><br />Talking to PTV, Foreign Office Spokesman Masood Khan said,"We hope that the ceasefire will prove to be a good beginning for confidence building and resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India". <br /><br />The ceasefire was <a href="http://www.thetimesofindia.online/articleshow/321639.cms" target="_blank">welcomed</a> by the United States, with Secretary of State Colin Powell calling External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Pakistan''s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri to congratulate them.<br /><br />"Greater engagement can lead to the resolution of differences, moving toward a permanent end to their conflict," a State Department spokesman said.<br /><br />Besides the US, the UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, Britain, China and Japan have welcomed the move.<br /><br />While the UN called the move encouraging, China and Britain hoped it would lead to settlement of bilateral disputes including the issue of Kashmir.<br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">(With inputs from </span><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Yudhvir Rana</span><span style="" font-size:=""> </span><span style="" font-size:="" font-style:="" italic="">from Wagah)</span><br /></div> </div>