Pakistan- India: Cease-fire and its violations
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Contents |
A brief history
December 18, 2014
The first comprehensive ceasefire between India and Pakistan covering the international border, LoC and the Siachen Glacier was enforced on the midnight of November 25, 2003. The ceasefire was established to enable armies from both sides to perform administrative tasks along the borders.Data shows that there has been a steady increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in recent years.In 2011, there were 51 and 11 incidents of ceasefire violations at the border patrolled by the Army and BSF respectively. In comparison, the first 11 months of 2014 witnessed 655 ceasefire violations, 150 in areas under the Army's jurisdiction and 405 in the BSF-controlled region.Source: PIB
Violations: Jan-Nov 2014 versus 2013
Pak's truce violations up 57% over '13
Bharti Jain, Dec 04 2014
There were 545 ceasefire violations on the country's borders until November 25, marking a 57% increase over the 347 violations reported in the whole of 2013. Interestingly , the bulk of the ceasefire violations (395) this year were reported from the international border under operational control of the BSF , while the LoC and IB areas under the Army's control accounted for only 27.5% of the cases.
As per data presented in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday , the 395 violations reported from IB areas under BSF were nearly 167% more than the 148 incidents witnessed in 2013. However, the situation was reversed in LoCIB areas, with violations falling from 199 in 2013 to 150 until November 25 this year.
Though the number of security personnel martyred on account of the violations fell to five from 12 in 2013, the civilian toll rose from nil to 13.
Cease fire violations: 2013-June 2015
The Times of India, Jul 31 2015
Since 2013, Pak violated truce 1,140 times: Parrikar
`International Border Focus Of Firing'
Pakistan has violated the ceasefire as many as 1,140 times since 2013, with the focus of its firing being concentrated more across the settled International Boundary (IB) than the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, said while there were 347 ceasefire violations in 2013, the figure jumped to 583 in 2014.Till June 30 this year, 199 such violations have been recorded. Of the 199, only around 25 of them were across the LoC, which is manned by the Army , with the rest being along the BSFguarded IB. “Diplomatically , India has repeatedly emphasised the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the LoC and abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003,“ said Parrikar.
After the NSA-level talks next month, the two countries are also slated to hold meetings between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers chiefs as well as the two DGMOs to discuss de-escalatory mechanisms along the borders.
Bomb hoax keeps Gurdaspur on edge
Three days after terrorists struck in Dinanagar, unidentified miscreants left a black bag with a box inside that looked like a bomb near the Gurdaspur bus stand, triggering panic in the area.Police officials said the box resembled a bomb but had no detonating device. A Punjab Armed Police bomb disposal squad, which was called in from Jalandhar, later dismantled the device.“The bag contained some wooden pieces, paper pieces and powder,“ said senior superintendent of police Gurpreet Singh Toor.
2015
The Times of India, Aug 12 2015
192 ceasefire violations along border in J&K this year: Govt There have been 192 ceasefire violations along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir this year until July 26, resulting in the death of three civilians and one BSF personnel. As many as 50 houses were damaged in the border firing from Pakistan, which temporarily affected 7,110 persons. Minister of state for home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary , in a written reply in Lok Sabha, said the ceasefire violations in 2014 were the highest in the last four years. In the 430 ceasefire violations reported last year, 12 civilians and two BSF personnel were killed. As many as 86 civilians and 15 border personnel were injured. The heavy shelling from across Pakistan damaged 140 houses, affecting over 2 lakh people on a temporary basis.
While the ceasefire violations in 2013 were 148, the figure was just 21 in 2012.
Chaudhary said infiltrators sometimes used the cover of cross-border firing to sneak in from across Pakistan. Listing the measures taken to check ceasefire violations and ensure the safety of civilians living in border areas, the minister said proper defence preparedness includ ng strengthening of nakas, ield fortifications and highmast lights were ensured at the border. Immediate and ef ective retaliation by BSF personnel was carried out to unprovoked firing.
Mechanisms have been instituted at border outposts and border areas to expedi tiously inform villages of any occurrence of cross-border firing. BSF regularly talks to people living in villages close to the border, advising them not to move in the vicinity of areas prone to unprovoked fire without its prior information permission.
Truce breach in Rajouri, Poonch
In twin ceasefire violations, Pakistani troops on Tuesday resorted to small arms firing on forward posts along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts, drawing retaliation from the Army.
“Pakistan Army had resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati Sector of Poonch district since 0100 hours,“ a defence Spokesman said. “Troops on our side of Line of Control retaliated. No casualty or damage reported,“ the spokesman added. PTI
Pakistani transgressions; July- Aug 2015
See graphic
2015-16, number of ceasefires by Pakistan
Pakistan violated ceasefire daily in 2015, 2016: MHA , May 7, 2017: The Times of India
HIGHLIGHTS
MHA said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J&K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.
In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.
At least one incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan has been reported daily along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015 and 2016, with 23 security personnel being killed in the two years, the home ministry has said in an RTI reply.
It also said that 1,142 terror incidents were reported in J&K between 2012 and 2016 in which 236 security personnel and 90 civilians were killed.
In the same period, 507 terrorists were killed in encounters, the ministry said.
According to the reply, Pakistan violated the ceasefire across the Line of Control 449 times in 2016, as compared to 405 violations in 2015. Twenty-three security personnel were killed in the two-year period, it said. Major Gen (retd) G D Bakshi said Pakistan is running a "covert" war against India.
"Though Pakistan talks about peace, it does not believe in it, and Jammu and Kashmir is an example," he said.
Compared to 220 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012, there were 322 incidents in 2016 in which 82 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed, the RTI reply said.
It said in 2015, 39 security personnel and 17 civilians were killed in 208 terror incidents while 108 terrorists were killed in encounters. While 47 security personnel and 28 civilians were killed in the state, 110 terrorists were killed in encounters in 2014, the reply said.
The RTI reply said in 2012, 15 security personnel and as many civilians were killed in 220 terror incidents, and 72 terrorists were killed in encounters. In 2013, 53 security personnel and 15 civilians were killed in 170 terror incidents in J&K with security forces killing 67 terrorists in encounters.
"There is a new trend these days. Whenever the army surrounds militants in an area, messages are sent on social media platforms and residents from nearby places gather there, slowing down operations," Bakshi said.
2016
Jan- Oct 2016, esp. after surgical strikes
Neeraj Chauhan, Over 300 Pak firings since Sept-end, Nov 04 2016 : The Times of India
`To Seek Revenge For Surgical Strikes, It's Even Targeting Civilians'
Government officials said in Nov 2016 that Pakistani forces were deliberately targeting civilians in border areas as Islamabad was desperate for a “face-saving“ exercise following the September 29 surgical strikes by Indian troops on terror launch pads.
Officials said that Pakistan had directed its forces to target BSF, the Army and not even spare the civilians as part of their “revenge“. Pakistan's aggression is evident by the fact that two-thirds of a total of 500 ceasefire violations along the western border have taken place in the last five weeks.
In Jammu alone, 200 ceasefire violations by Pakistan have been recorded in 2016 till Oct 31, most of them since the surgical strikes. In 2015, the total number of violations recorded by Pakistan were 405.
Officials said that the BSF was currently dealing with the “troika“ of Pakistani army , Pak Rangers and terrorists who have been trying to cross into the Indian territory under the cover of cross border fire. However, the Indian forces have retaliated to the fire adequately . Many people have been displaced and over 100 schools have been closed near LoC and IB.
Faced with the massive retaliation by the BSF, the Pakistan Rangers have now started feeling the heat. Ac cording to officials, two days before Diwali, Pakistan army and Rangers targeted Indian border out posts (BoPs) at Jammu's Akhnoor sector with small arms fire and mortar shelling without any provocation.
The BSF retaliated in such a manner that Pakistan Rangers' waived white flags asking the personnel to stop the fire.Several Pakistani soldiers got killed in the retaliatory fire.BSF had decided to throw everything at the Rangers in Akhnoor, which is also called the chicken's neck due to its shape as the Pakistani territory extends into the Indian side.“As the Rangers waived white flags and called for talks, BSF stopped the fire. They (Rangers) were clearly informed that talks could happen only at the commander level,“ said an official. However, the BSF never heard from the Rangers ever since they started targeting Indian posts again.
“It is usually a trick Pakistan tries whenever it is on shaky ground. Whenever they (Pak forces) realise that they cannot outdo an Indian response, they give up and ask for peace,“ said an officer.
A home ministry official said, “Our forces neither initiate ceasefire violation nor do they target civilians. They retaliate in a very calibrated and restrained manner when either their posts or personnel are targeted or cover fire is provided by Pakistan to allow infiltrators to cross over to India.“
