To keep peace on LoC, India and Pakistan to abide by ceasefire agreement

In a big development, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday that India and Pakistan armies have agreed to cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) from midnight of February 24-25.

The Director Generals of Military Operations of the two countries agreed to observe ceasefire “in the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders."

This was agreed between the DGMOs of India and Pakistan who held discussions over the hotline, a joint statement read on Thursday. “The two sides reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and all other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere.”

BREAKING: Joint statement by Director Generals of Military Ops of India & Pakistan on LoC situation. @IndiaToday pic.twitter.com/CDJmg60cft — Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) February 25, 2021

It added, "In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGsMO agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence."

Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021,” the joint statement read.

The statement added, "Both sides also reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding."

Amid heightened tensions along the LoC and LAC in 2020, this is the first such contact between India and Pakistan. The LoC witnessed frequent exchange of fire last year.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier said that Pakistan resorted to 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations in 2020 in which 46 security force personnel were killed.