India, Pakistan resolve to protect Line of Control truce

• The Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMO) s of India and Pakistan have reiterated the resolve and commitment of both sides to continue efforts for ensuring ceasefire, peace and tranquility on the Line of Control (LoC).
• At the meeting, the first between the DGMOs in 14 years, the two sides have resolved to work towards improved communications between the two by re-energising the existing mechanisms including their hotline contact. Consensus was developed to make hotline Contact between the two DGMOs more effective and result oriented.
• The talks between the two military officials, held at Wagah in Pakistan, came at the end of a year of extraordinary tensions along the LoC threatening the 10-year-old ceasefire. The last DGMOs meeting was in 1999 after the Kargil war. Consensus was developed to make hotline contact between the two DGMOs more effective and result oriented.
• The two sides will also hold two Brigade Commander-level flag meetings in the near future, most likely at Uri and Poonch on the LoC.
• The two sides also agreed to inform each other if any innocent civilian inadvertently crosses LoC to ensure his or her early return.
• Also there were discussions to check on infiltration, since in 2013 alone there have been 267 attempted infiltrations of the LoC. In January, 2013 two Indian soldiers were killed, one of whom was beheaded. In August, an ambush from the Pakistani side killed five soldiers in the Poonch area.
• There were also discussions regarding issues concerning the 15 brigades deployed by the Indian Army on its side of the border. India had earlier refused to get drawn into Pakistan’s attempts to include international third parties in the meeting and to discuss a greater role for United Nations observers in ensuring peace along the border or LoC.