|
The director generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan on Tuesday agreed that their armies would implement a ceasefire with effect from midnight(1830 GMT) Tuesday.
The ceasefire covers the 778-km-long Line of Control (LoC 150-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in Siachen, the world' s highest battlefield and the 198-km-long International Border.
The announcement about the ceasefire was made simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad.
Pakistan declared a unilateral ceasefire on Sunday and India reciprocated the move Monday by offering a ceasefire on the Siachen Glacier.
A day after India said it would respond "positively" to Pakistan's unilateral ceasefire offer along the LoC, the truce decision was wrapped up by Director-General of Military Operations of India Lt. Gen. B S Takhar and his Pakistani counterpart Maj. Gen. Mohd. Yousuf on hotline Tuesday.
"We welcome the offer by the Prime Minister of Pakistan of a unilateral ceasefire with effect from the holy occasion of Eid. We will respond positively to this initiative. However, in order to establish a full ceasefire on a durable basis, there must be an end to infiltration from across the Line of Control. To take this process further, we also propose a ceasefire along the Actual Ground Position Line in Siachen," said Union External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha.
This is the first time since the Kashmir insurgency began that India has accepted a ceasefire offer by Pakistan along the LoC. And this is also the first time that India has offered a ceasefire in Siachen.
Local observers say India's positive response is a result of softness in Pakistan's offer.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Nov. 2000 announced a Ramadan cease-fire in Jammu and Kashmir aimed at bringing the militant groups back to the negotiating table. However, the offer was rejected by Pakistan-based Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin.
Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said Tuesday India was looking for a dialogue with Pakistan, but he made it clear that Islamabad has to "perform" on keeping its promise to end cross-border terrorism. He described Pakistan's ceasefire decision as "encouraging."
(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2003)
|
