Daily Times

WASHINGTON: A spokesperson for the United States’ Department of State on Thursday night said that the US appreciated Pakistan and India’s joint statement to adhere to a 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control (LOC).

The spokesperson also claimed that peace between India and Pakistan was in the interests of all stakeholders, and said that Washington hoped the two countries could adhere to the agreement.

The LOC has recently been the sight of numerous cases of aggression, as both India and Pakistan have repeatedly violated the 2003 ceasefire agreement the two neighbouring states signed.

For instance, four civilians were martyred and 10 others were injured when Indian forces fired on a village near the working boundary in Sialkot earlier this year.

The Army’s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), moreover, revealed on Tuesday that Pakistan and India’s Director Generals Military Operations (DGMO) had decided to establish a special hotline to ensure tensions did not escalate.

The DGMOs also reviewed the situation at the LOC and vowed to exercise restraint under all circumstances. In case of any aggression, the two military officers also agreed to make recourse to existing mechanisms such as the hotline and border flag meetings.

The two DGMOs also agreed to do all in their power to ensure peace and to improve relations.