LoC truce violations on rise, India wants new rules, more flag meetings with Pakistan

Faced with a spurt in ceasefire violations, India plans to put forward proposals to Pakistan that include fresh border rules agreement and more flag meetings by adding an additional sector along the LoC. The issue will be taken up for discussion at expert level meetings on Conventional and Nuclear Confidence Building Measures between India and Pakistan to be held in New Delhi on December 27 and 28.

MEA Additional Secretary for Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran Y K Sinha will lead the Indian delegation for the meeting on Conventional CBMs. Joint Secretary, Disarmament and International security Affairs, D B Venkatesh Varma will lead the Indian delegation for the meeting on Nuclear CBMs.

According to available figures, 44 ceasefire violations were reported in 2010. It went up to 51 in 2011. Till August 2012, it had touched 33.

It is learnt that India will put forward the proposal for fresh border rules agreement to replace the existing agreement signed in 1961 at the meeting on Conventional CBMs. Islamabad had earlier not shown interest in the proposal, but New Delhi wants to put it on the table again.

Sources said that New Delhi will seek more flag meetings, and will also ask for an additional sector where they can hold these flag meetings. It is learnt that the new sector is likely to be Turtuk. At present, flag meetings between India and Pakistan take place at four sectors — Uri, Poonch, Tangdhar and Kupwara.

The proposal to have the agreement on "inadvertent crossers" will also be proposed by the Indian establishment, as the pact has been in limbo for sometime now.

While Islamabad is okay with the agreement for the crossers along the international border, it is not keen to have it along the LoC.

The officials at the meeting on Nuclear CBMs will talk about the anti-ballistic missiles shield. While Islamabad wants to be briefed about the "Ballistic Missile Defence", India has all along maintained that they are not targetted at any country.

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