Intermittent and unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian troops continue to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent people settled across the line of control. On Thursday, the Indian forces yet again resorted to heavy shelling in AJK’s Chamb sector leaving two men dead and a woman and her teenage son critically injured. The fresh incident of ceasefire violation had raised the death toll caused by Indian shelling in the ongoing year to 20 whereas 119 people have sustained injuries over the past several moths. According to the figures put forward by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) 46 civilians were killed and another 262 wounded due to Indian shelling on the LoC in 2017, whereas the number of the deceased and injured persons in 2016 was 41 and 142, respectively.
The government of Pakistan has time and again raised the issue with Indian government besides apprising the world community of the highly volatile situation in the region. But it is quite unfortunate that the international community and particularly the most influential governments who talk high about peace and security in the region are reluctant to play any significant role in reducing the tension and putting an end to ceasefire violations, which go unabated in sheer disregard for international law and 2003 truce agreement signed by India and Pakistan.
A cursory look at the incidents of ceasefire violations over the past couple of years shows an alarming trend of escalation on the part of India. And this dangerous trend if neglected could jeopardize peace of the entire region. It is therefore imperative that instead of paying a lip-service the world community should redouble its efforts, pursue New Delhi to shun confrontational approach and start dialogue to resolve the long outstanding issue of Kashmir peacefully. The fact is that Kashmir dispute is mother of all the pending disputes between the two nuclear neighbours. Unless and until this deadly dispute remains unresolved it is for sure that there could be no peace in the region and this gory death dance and mindless violence will continue to wreak havoc on both sides of the line of control. It is time that India must realize the bitter reality that this perpetual hostility is neither in the interest of Pakistan nor India. Both the nations cannot afford to live in a state of hostility as progress and prosperity in the region is inescapably linked to durable peace which can only be achieved by resolving disputes through dialogue.