India-Pakistan agreement on Cross-Border Firing in Kashmir

The militaries of India and Pakistan announced that both sides have agreed to stop cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. This agreement will come into effect from February 2021.

Highlights

• The joint statement was releasing by the Director Generals of Military Operations of both the countries.
• Both sides have decided that border flag meetings will be utilised in order to resolve any misunderstanding between the countries.

Background

Both India and Pakistan have been in contact on a hotline level since the year 1987. DGMOs of both countries also stay in touch through this established mechanism. The cross-border firing had increased in the region since 2014 along the LoC. SO, both the DGMOs agreed that existing 2003 understanding over the firing will be implemented in letter and spirit now.

India-Pakistan Border Conflicts

• The India–Pakistan border conflicts comprises of a series of armed clashes including the cross-border airstrikes and exchanges of gunfire between both the countries. The countries often engage in the cross-border firing along the de facto border across the disputed Kashmir region.
• The most recent deadly conflict was the Pulwama Attack of February 14, 2019 that had killed 40 Indian Central Reserve Police Force personnel.
• The Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed the responsibility for the attack.
• Following that, India blamed Pakistan for the attack and in response, India carried cross-border airstrike near Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan on February 26, 2019.

Conflicts in 2020

In the year 2020, standoff between both the countries began with the major exchange of gunfire and shelling in November 2020 along LOC. This resulted into the death of 22 including 11 civilians. In November 2020, one Indian soldier was killed in Rajouri and in Poonch. While Pakistan released the data that, In December, 2020 two Pakistani soldiers were killed in Bagsar region of disputed Kashmir region.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2021