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.
Cease fire violations: 2014-17
Rajat Pandit, February 7, 2018: The Times of India
From: Rajat Pandit, February 7, 2018: The Times of India
In the absence of any diplomatic détente, the deadly war of attrition between India and Pakistan along the 778-km Line of Control (LoC) and 198-km International Boundary (IB) in Jammu & Kashmir has taken a sharp turn for the worse ever since the “surgical strikes” of September, 2016.
There were as many as 860 ceasefire violations (CFVs) along the LoC and another 120 along the IB in 2017, the highest-ever such tally in over 15 years. The number of CFVs has already touched 241 across the LoC in the first 36 days of 2017, claiming the lives of nine Indian soldiers, as per Army statistics.
Army chief General Bipin Rawat says the Pak Army is “suffering three to four times the number of casualties compared to us” in the CFVs. Given the current mood, these long and bloody tit-for-tat fire assaults across the border, with even light artillery guns, heavy mortars and anti-tank guided missiles often coming into play from both the sides, are not going to ebb anytime soon.
A day after a young captain and three soldiers were killed in heavy shelling by Pakistani forces in Rajouri district, Army vice-chief Lt-General Sarath Chand on Monday warned of strong retaliatory action to avenge the losses. “That (retaliation) goes without saying. I think I don’t have to say that. (Our) action will speak for itself,” he said.
Added another senior officer, “Pakistan is hurt more than us…that’s why the Pak Army refuses to give its casualty figures to its own Parliament. We estimate 130-140 Pak soldiers were killed in our cross-border firings and tactical operations last year.”
But Indian soldiers have also paid a heavy price. Of the 62 who laid down their lives in J&K last year, 15 were killed in CFVs, 17 in infiltration and other incidents along the LoC and 30 in counter-terrorism operations in the hinterland.
“I don’t think the situation will get better in the short term. The atmosphere has been completely vitiated by the Pak Army strategy to send terrorists across to carry out IED blasts, mutilate our soldiers and attack garrisons. It leaves no space for any confidence-building like a ceasefire agreement,” said former Northern Army Command chief, Lt-Gen D S Hooda (retd), who oversaw the “surgical strikes” on September 29, 2016.
Indian Para-Special Forces had conducted the “surgical strikes” against terror launch pads, close to Pak Army posts, in four different locations in PoK to avenge the killing of 19 Indian soldiers in a suicide attack at the Army camp in Uri earlier that month.
That, in effect, triggered the sharp escalatory spiral, with Pakistan indulging in 78 and 88 CFVs in October and November 2016. India also began to “pro-actively dominate” the LoC with “pre-emptive and punitive fire assaults” on Pak Army posts aiding infiltration, which became all the more fiercer after two of its soldiers were beheaded in a BAT (border action team) operation in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch on May 1 last year.
The Pak Army was obviously not about to roll over and play dead. It responded in full measure, sometimes deliberately targeting civilian centres in the Jammu region.
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.“
2017
January-September 2017, 600 violations
HIGHLIGHTS
Pakistani troops have opened fire on Indian territories more than 600 times till September 30.
Eight civilians and 16 security personnel were killed in the firing, a home ministry official said.
It is the highest number of ceasefire violations in nearly a decade, the official said.
Pakistan has violated the ceasefire over 600 times so far this year, the highest in the last one decade, an official said.
Pakistani troops have opened fire on Indian territories more than 600 times till September 30. Eight civilians and 16 security personnel were killed in the firing, a home ministry official said.
It is the highest number of ceasefire violations in nearly a decade, the official said.
The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir had come into force in November 2003.
India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
There were nearly 450 ceasefire violations in 2016 in which 13 civilians and as many security personnel were killed.
2017: Pak violated 881 times, killing 30
December 20, 2017: The Times of India
The government informed Parliament that Pakistan violated the ceasefire a total of 881 times along the line of control (LoC) and the international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir this year, killing 30 people. Minister of state for home Hansraj Ahir informed the Lok Sabha that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 771times till December 10, and 110 times along the IB till November-end. In these incidents of firing from across the border, 30 people — 14 Army personnel, 12 civilians and four Border Security Force (BSF) personnel — were killed.
No cross-border firing has been reported in other states except Jammu and Kashmir along the border with Pakistan, he said replying to a written question. According to security forces, Pakistan has used ceasefire violation to assist infiltration of terrorists into Indian territory for past few years and it is making continuous such attempts to disturb peace in the Kashmir valley but the Army, the BSF and other security forces are responding to such violations befittingly. The BSF and the Army have conducted special operations to retaliate to Pakistani firing on several occasions and several Pak Rangers and Pak Army officials have also been killed. The ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the international border, the line of control and the actual ground position line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.
2017: largest ceasefire violations since 2014
2017 new high for Pak border assaults, December 24, 2017: The Times of India
The cross-border firing by Pakistan army that killed a major and three soldiers at Keri in J&K’s Rajouri sector came towards the end of a year that saw over 780 ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the 778km Line of Control and 120 along the 198km international border.
Over 33 people, including 12 civilians, have been killed in these firings.
This marks a new high in recent years. Ceasefire violations along the LoC in 2014 and 2015, for instance, stood at 153 and 152, respectively, while the tally was 228 in 2016. Army chief General Bipin Rawat recently held that peace talks with Pakistan could take place only when it stopped supporting terrorists in Jammu & Kashmir. But given its actions and behaviour, it didn’t appear that Pakistan really wanted peace, he added.
Director general of military operations Lt Gen A K Bhatt had also told his Pakistani counterpart, Major General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, that there appeared to be a “disconnect” between his army headquarters at Rawalpindi, which professes a desire for peace, and its troops on the ground along the LoC, who resort to heavy firing and ceasefire violations without any provocation.
While maintaining that the Army will continue its efforts to ensure peace and tranquillity on the borders, Lt Gen Bhatt said it will “continue to take all retaliatory measures and retain the right to punitively respond to any provocative acts of aggression from the Pakistani side”.
The Indian Army has repeatedly told the Pakistan army to desist from actively abetting cross-border terrorism and infiltration, warning that all misadventures to either target Indian troops or provide cover fire to infiltrating terrorists would be met with retaliatory punitive fire assaults. India has stressed that any collateral damage in the cross-border firings is due to the Pakistan army’s “unacceptable” support to cross-border terrorism and infiltration as well as its strategy to deploy civilians at forward posts to gain intelligence and act as guides to terrorists crossing the LoC.
2017: Indian Army kills 138 Pak soldiers in tactical ops
Army kills 138 Pak soldiers in 2017 in tactical ops, January 10, 2018: The Times of India
The Indian Army killed 138 Pakistan Army personnel in 2017 in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, government intelligence sources said.
The Indian Army lost 28 soldiers during the same period along the LoC, the sources said.
The sources said the Pakistan Army usually does not acknowledge the deaths of its personnel and shows them as civilian casualties in certain cases.
The Indian Army has been adopting a "tough" approach in dealing with ceasefire violations and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir in the last one year.
The Pakistan Army has suffered 138 fatal and 155 non- fatal casualties in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the LoC in 2017, the intelligence sources told PTI.
A total of 70 Indian Army personnel were injured during cross border firings and other incidents.
Asked about the fatalities on the Pakistani side, the Army refused to comment. However, Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said India has been effectively retaliating against all ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Army and will continue to do so.
According to official figures, 860 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops were reported in 2017 as against 221 last year.
It seems the Pakistan Army has a policy of not acknowledging the killing of its personnel, the sources said. They also referred to the Kargil war when Pakistan had declined to accept casualties despite proof given by India.
The sources also cited an incident on December 25 when a group of five Army commandos crossed the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and killed three Pakistani soldiers. The Pakistan Army had posted a tweet that day acknowledging the deaths but later deleted it.
The Pakistan Army's spokesperson two days later rejected reports that Indian commandos selectively targeted a post across the LoC and killed three of its soldiers.
The intelligence sources said Indian Army killed 27 Pakistani soldiers in sniper firing last year while seven of its soldiers lost their lives in Pakistani sniper firing along the LoC.
As part of its policy of "hot pursuit", the Indian Army has been carrying out tactical operations to foil Pakistan Army's support to terrorists.
In May last year, the Indian Army had said it launched "punitive fire assaults" on Pakistani positions across the LoC, inflicting "some damage", days after two Indian Army personnel were beheaded.
See also
Pakistan- India economic relations
Pakistan- India: Cease-fire and its violations
Nuclear weapons testing: India- Pakistan
Nuclear arsenals: India, Pakistan
and many more articles, especially about the 1965 and 1971 wars, The Kargil war of 1999, 1947...
