India concedes end to ceasefire on LoC

ISLAMABAD: India has conceded end of ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) by it that had been holding since 2003.

It has been impliedly confessed by Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat during an interview with a leading Indian media house. Amid a rise in ceasefire violations along the LoC, General Rawat maintained that India will order a ceasefire when Pakistan stops sending terrorists to India.

"The Indian army will honour the ceasefire and de-escalate tensions the day Pakistan stops sending terrorists across the Line of Control," General Rawat said. In an extremely harsh tone, the Indian army chief hurled warning on Pakistan by saying that that the neighbour will have to pay for the attack on Sunjuwan military camp in Jammu, sooner or later.

Freedom fighters last week hit the camp and killed a number of troops belonging to Indian occupying army. The Indian army chief said that they have many options on how to retaliate, including a surgical strike. "Pakistan thinks it is fighting a war that is paying them dividends but we have several options, including surgical strikes," the Indian army chief said. However, he did not disclose the details of the options that the Indian forces may adopt.

On February 10, six soldiers and one civilian were killed, and 10 others injured when freedom fighters stormed the 36 Brigade headquarters of the Indian army at Sunjwan in Jammu region. Four freedom fighters were martyred in the retaliatory attack by the Indian Army.

There have been over 800 ceasefire violations in 2017 from either side, as compared to 271 the previous year, the General said without giving the break-up of the violations. It is believed it is India that has been defying the ceasefire in greater number.

Earlier, Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also hit out at Pakistan over the Sunjuwan attack, saying that they will have to pay for "misadventure". She had alleged that the Indian army had enough evidence to prove that the attack originated from Pakistan.

"Intelligence inputs indicate that these freedom fighters were being controlled by their handlers from across the border," the Indian defence minister had alleged. "Pakistan is expanding the arc of terror, resorting to ceasefire violations to assist infiltration. It will pay for this misadventure," she had said.

India hasn’t reported the United Nations Monitoring Observers Group (UNMOGIP) about the freedom fighters’ movement. Sources in the Ministry of Defence here told The News that the Indian army chief’s threat has of no consequence since Pakistan isn’t involved in the activity. The Indian army chief should ensure cessation of human rights defiance in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) to ward off the reaction by the people of IHK. The sources said that Pakistan is fully capable and prepared to deal with any misadventure as it could teach befitting lesson of any misadventure.