Representative Image | Prakash Singh/AFP
The United States and the United Nations on Thursday welcomed India and Pakistan’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control, calling it a positive step that will encourage dialogue between the two neighbouring countries.
“This is a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia, which is in our shared interest,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing. “And we encourage both countries to keep building upon this progress.”
Responding to a question about whether Pakistan was doing enough to combat terrorism, Psaki said the US remained closely engaged with leaders from the country. “But in terms of an assessment of that, I would point you to the State Department or the intelligence department,” she added.
Due to decades of violence across borders, a large chunk of the population living in the borderlands has been bereft of good education and health, which should be prioritised now.
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In a major development that bodes well for South Asian security, India and Pakistan have recommitted themselves to cease fire across the Line of Control (LoC) and other contested sectors. According to a joint statement released on February 25, “both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021.” This statement followed a call between senior Indian and Pakistani military officers.
“In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGs[-]MO [director generals of military operations] agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence,” the statement said.
'Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the LoC and all other sectors with effect from February 24,' said the joint statement.
A Dollop Of Hope, A Dash Of Scepticism: Kashmir Reaction To Indo-Pak Pact On Stopping Cross-Border Firing
The agreement on stopping cross-border firing between India and Pakistan has generated a lot of hope, scepticism and fear in the political circles of Kashmir Valley. AP Naseer Ganai 2021-02-25T19:50:23+05:30 A Dollop Of Hope, A Dash Of Scepticism: Kashmir Reaction To Indo-Pak Pact On Stopping Cross-Border Firing outlookindia.com 2021-02-25T20:21:02+05:30
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India and Pakistan released a joint statement on Friday with both sides agreeing to observe the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) starting from February 25, the agreement by both the countries has generated a lot of hope, scepticism and fear in the political circles of the Valley.