ISPR DG rejects Indian army chief’s claim on ceasefire

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Army has categorically rejected as misleading the Indian Chief of Army Staff's claim that the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) is holding because they negotiated from a position of strength.

“Indian COAS claiming LoC ceasefire holding because they negotiated from position of strength is clearly misleading,” Major General Babar Iftikhar, Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.

In a tweet on Friday, the spokesman for the Pakistan Army said it was agreed only due to Pakistan's concerns for the safety of the people of Kashmir living on both sides of the Line of Control. “No side should misconstrue it as their strength or other's weakness,” the ISPR DG maintained.

The strong reaction from Major General Babar Iftikhar came a day after Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane said the ceasefire at LoC continues to hold because they negotiated from a position of strength.

The absurd claims from the Indian Army Chief were made over a year after the two countries agreed to observe a ceasefire along the LoC and other sectors.

Director Generals of Military Operation (DGsMO), on a hotline contact, agreed on strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire with effect from midnight of February 24 and 25, 2021. The two sides also agreed that the existing mechanism of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilized to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding.

The ISPR said that in the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace, the two DGMOs agreed to address each other’s core issues which had the propensity to disturb the peace and lead to violence.