Pakistani and Indian border security forces agreed on Friday to maintain restraint on their disputed Kashmir frontier, as they sought to defuse tensions that have been heightened in recent months by militant attacks that each side blames the other for.
The heads of India’s Border Security Force and the Pakistani Rangers met in New Delhi to find ways to de-escalate tensions along the border as part of a series of measures agreed by the leaders of the two countries in July.
The border chiefs agreed to hold back cross-border firing and not to retaliate immediately to violations of a 15-year ceasefire, an Indian interior ministry official said.
“Both have decided not to immediately retaliate against firing from either side and to contact the other side to know the cause of firing,” the official said, reading from a draft text the two governments agreed.
Tens of thousands of soldiers are massed on either side of Kashmir, one of the world’s most militarised regions, and in recent months they have stepped up cross-border firing.
Last month, nine people were killed by the firings on the day the nuclear-armed neighbours marked the 50th anniversary of a war between them.
India says Pakistani soldiers provide cover firing to help militants cross over and carry out attacks in its part of Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has promised a tougher response to such violations than previous administrations, and last year the two armies engaged in the most serious exchanges since the 2003 ceasefire.
Pakistan denies giving material support to the Kashmir militants, but blames India for refusing to hold talks to resolve the 68-year-old territorial dispute.
Modi cancelled top level talks between the national security advisers of the two countries last month, objecting to Pakistan’s plan to meet Kashmiri separatists.
But the two governments agreed to let the border chiefs meet. The two forces will have greater communication to ensure things do not spiral out of control, the Indian official said.
INDIA TO EXERCISE CONSTRAINT:
Meanwhile, the Pakistani delegation also called on Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh who told them that “India would not fire the first bullet towards Pakistan” as it wanted cordial relations with all its neighbours, Hindustan Times reported.
“India wants friendly relations with all its neighbours. India will not fire the first bullet towards Pakistan along the border,” Singh said.
A 16-member delegation led by DG Rangers Major General Umar Farooq Burki held a meeting with Rajanth Singh in New Delhi on Friday, the Indian media reported.
The meeting decided that communication through phone and emails would be maintained.
The DG Rangers said he would convey Singh’s message to the Pakistani leadership.
Second round of the three-day talks between Directors General of Punjab Rangers and India’s Border Security Force is being held in New Delhi.
The two sides are discussing violations of the 2003 ceasefire agreement, cross border smuggling, and handing over the people who mistakenly cross the border.
The first round of talks concluded “cordially” and both sides agreed to take steps to start coordinated patrolling at the border, as well as to monitor ceasefire violations.
The Indian home minister said that both India and Pakistan must unite against the menace of terrorism.
“Like India, Pakistan, too, is a victim of terrorism,” he added. Singh said India wanted to engage in dialogue with Pakistan at different levels and that was why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at Ufa in Russia.
“Unfortunately, the NSA level talks did not take place. But we want to have a good relation with Pakistan,” Singh said, adding, “I am saying this not for formality’s sake, but ‘tah-e-dil-se’ (from the bottom of the heart).”
