Amid the increasing hostility between India and Pakistan, brigade commanders on both sides will hold a flag meeting at Chakan da Bagh crossing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch tomorrow, more than a year-and-a-half after the previous meeting.
Field officers last met on January 14, 2014, and discussed the prevailing situation. Since then, they were trading bullets and shells.
Now, when hostility has reached its peak and people on both side are facing the heat, India and Pakistan decided to hold a flag meeting 20 months after the last meeting. The meeting will focus on ceasefire violations on the LoC and its fallout.
Udhampur-based defence spokesperson SD Goswami said field commanders would discuss modalities to defuse the tense situation. “Ceasefire violations escalated in the last few days and resulted in a large number of civilian casualties and collateral damage to property,” he said.
Relations between the two countries are on the decline and both sides have been accusing each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement. Due to truce violations on the LoC, six civilians and a Border Security Force (BSF) assistant sub-inspector have been killed. Scores of people have received injuries and there has been extensive damage to property as well.
Pakistan has violated the truce agreement 267 times so far this year. Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing 57 times in August alone.
Even after holding talks between Directors General of the BSF and Pakistan Rangers in New Delhi on September 9, there was no let-up in shelling and firing on the LoC.
Though the BSF and Rangers are mainly looking after defence on the international border, it was expected that the meeting could have an impact on the LoC as well. But firing and shelling continued on the LoC.
Now, all eyes are on the scheduled flag meeting at the Chakan da Bagh to bring some respite to people living on both sides of the LoC.
Field officers last met on January 14, 2014, and discussed the prevailing situation. Since then, they were trading bullets and shells.
Now, when hostility has reached its peak and people on both side are facing the heat, India and Pakistan decided to hold a flag meeting 20 months after the last meeting. The meeting will focus on ceasefire violations on the LoC and its fallout.
Udhampur-based defence spokesperson SD Goswami said field commanders would discuss modalities to defuse the tense situation. “Ceasefire violations escalated in the last few days and resulted in a large number of civilian casualties and collateral damage to property,” he said.
Relations between the two countries are on the decline and both sides have been accusing each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement. Due to truce violations on the LoC, six civilians and a Border Security Force (BSF) assistant sub-inspector have been killed. Scores of people have received injuries and there has been extensive damage to property as well.
Pakistan has violated the truce agreement 267 times so far this year. Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing 57 times in August alone.
Even after holding talks between Directors General of the BSF and Pakistan Rangers in New Delhi on September 9, there was no let-up in shelling and firing on the LoC.
Though the BSF and Rangers are mainly looking after defence on the international border, it was expected that the meeting could have an impact on the LoC as well. But firing and shelling continued on the LoC.
Now, all eyes are on the scheduled flag meeting at the Chakan da Bagh to bring some respite to people living on both sides of the LoC.
