India, Pak agree to exercise restraint on border

NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan on Monday decided to defuse the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, where almost a daily exchange of fire has led to civilian casualties and damage to property.
In the brigadier-level flag meeting held at Chakan da Bagh crossing in the Poonch sector, the two sides discussed the ongoing ceasefire violations, targeting of civilians and “sniping action” on the LoC.“Both sides have mutually agreed to exercise restraint and take steps to defuse the situation in the hour-long meeting,” said an Army spokesperson.
As reported by TOI, the Army-manned LoC has witnessed around 150 ceasefire violations this year. The violations along the international boundary, where the BSF is deployed, have been much more.
After the recent meeting between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers chiefs in New Delhi, a similar one between the two DGMOs is likely to be held soon. When the two DGMOs last met at the Wagah-Attari border in December 2013, it had led to a noticeable drop in ceasefire violations and infiltration bids, which often go together since the Pakistan army gives “covering fire” to help militants sneak into India. But it had proved to be short-lived, with ceasefire violations once again registering a huge jump.