Defenceinfo Bureau Report
45 ceasefire violations were reported this year along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by Minister of State for Home Mullappally Ramachandran to the Lok Sabha. 117 ceasefire violations were reported between the years 2009-11 along the Line of Control, of which 28 were in 2009, 44 in 2010 and 45 between January and November this year the Minister stated in a written reply. “All incidents of ceasefire violations are investigated and protests are lodged with Pakistan military authorities at appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meetings and meetings between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two countries,” he said.
The issue of ceasefire violations was also taken up with the Pakistan side during the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan held in Islamabad in June. Cease fire violations are a method being followed by Pakistan to facilitate infiltration by keeping the troops occupied while the infiltrators attempt to go through. The Army has an option to open artillery fire across the line of control in case it feels that infiltration is being attempted, however, this option has not been exercised. The Indian forces follow a policy of restraint with the objective of maintaining peace along the line of control so as to ease the suffering of the civilians residing over there.
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