Draft %28Pak-India LoC%29 (1)

1 CURRENT PAK-INDIA LOC VIOLATIONS/TENSION BACK GROUND Clashes flared along the 740-km (445-mile) Line of C ontrol that divides Kashmir on August 6 when five Indian soldiers were ambushed and killed in the Poonch region. New Delhi blamed the attack on the Pakistan army. Islamabad denied involvement. While tit-for-tat shelling and machinegun fire are common along the LoC. The current round of fighting is one of the most intense since a ceasefire signed in 2003. It has been linked to harsh Indian media* criticism and rowdy scenes in India's parliament. WHAT IS LINE OF CONTROL (LOC)? The term Line of Control (LOC) known as Asia's Berlin wall refers to the military control line between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled parts of state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which, to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de facto border. Originally known as the "Cease-fire Line", it was redesignated as the "Line of Control" following the Simla Agreement in 1972 The Indian Line of Control fencing is a 550 km. The fence, constructed by India, generally remains about 150 yards on the Indian-controlled side. Its stated purpose is to exclude arms smuggling and infiltration by Pakistani-based separatist militants. Question is how Pakistani military or insurgent intruded 5 kilometers into India in the presence of this long fence? That is most important question being discussed. Pakistan denied any infiltration while India alleges that If Pakistan army is the world’s best professional army (as Pakistan claims) then how and who crossed the LOC and fired 5 Indian soldiers in their presence? SUDDEN INCREASE IN VIOLATIONS According to India, on the line dividing Kashmir between Pakistan and I ndia, ceasefire violations are up 80 percent compared to last year, according to India. According to Ind ian defense ministry statis tics, LeT and its allies have doubled their attempts to cross into Indian-controlled Kashmir this year. In the first eight months of this year, 103 casualties in militant-related violence were recorded in Indian Kashmir, compared to 57 in the same period of 2012, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, a think tank. The increase in Kashmir militant violence since a 2003 ceasefire on the border, which led to a decline in attacks, partly because Pakistan and the jihadi groups were preoccupied with Afghanistan during this time. SPECULATIVE SCENARIOS OF LOC INCIDENT OF BOTH COUNTRIES (Pakistan Part Ref: Why engagement with Pakistan is a must published in Hindu dated Aug 13, 2013 while Indian part reference from various sources)

Draft %28Pak-India LoC%29 (1)

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