LoC decisions

This refers to the news report ‘Pak, Indian armies agree to re-enforce LOC ceasefire’ (Feb 26). Both Pakistani and Indian military authorities have agreed to a ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC). It is a significant step that is taken to enforce that there are no violations of the ceasefire agreement that was signed in 2003. However, it is important to mention that the 2003 ceasefire agreement was signed between India and Pakistan when Article 370 was not revoked and Indian occupied Kashmir enjoyed a special status. The re-endorsement of the earlier agreement has been achieved through backchannel talks. On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as our foreign office have repeatedly ruled out the possibility of any talks with India unless the country’s August 2019 actions were revoked. In this context, the news report ‘New Delhi may let Islamabad hold Saarc summit’ (Feb 26) raises concern. It says that India is considering allowing Pakistan to hold the long-delayed Saarc summit in Islamabad, which India had earlier declined. If the Saarc summit does take place in Pakistan, Indian PM Narendra Modi will visit Islamabad to attend the meeting. Prior to the summit, it is expected that diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were downgraded by Pakistan after August 5, 2019, may be upgraded, followed by the restoration of trade ties which were also suspended by Pakistan.

These reports imply that Pakistan isn’t standing firm on its previously held position that dialogue would commence only when India reverses the annexation of Kashmir.

Arif Majeed

Karachi

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Keeping in mind the recent clash along the disputed India-China border, the agreement between Pakistan and India to stop cross-border firing along the LoC seems to be a breakthrough in terms of mutual peace and cooperation between the two nuclear-armed nations. In 2003, the countries entered into a ceasefire agreement. However, the agreement had been frequently violated causing endless casualties and tragedies. These violations accelerated in February 2019, after the Pulwama attack, and, later, in the same year in August when India decided to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

In this whole scenario, the voice of Kashmiris seems to either fade away in the air or be buried deep down. If similar steps are adopted by these two nations, they can create a path that involves political dialogue and reconciliation and that can lead to peace in Kashmir.

Kinanah Shahbaz

Islamabad