Islamabad’s move to prod New Delhi to recognize the role of United Nations’ observers in maintaining truce along the Line of Control may cast shadow over the proposed talks between India’s Director General Military Operation Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia and his Pakistani counterpart Maj Gen Aamer Riyaz on Tuesday.
Though the two DGMOs talk to each other over phone, this is the first time after the 1999 conflict that they would meet across the table and discuss ways to avert truce violations along the LoC. Maj Gen Riyaz on Tuesday invited Lt Gen Bhatia for the meeting on the Pakistani side of the border at Wagah, after New Delhi accepted Islamabad’s proposal to hold the meeting on Tuesday.
Islamabad, however, on Monday indicated that it would ask New Delhi to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) greater access on its side of the LoC so that it could effectively ensure the ceasefire. This might cast a shadow over the talks as India stopped recognizing the UNMOGIP in 1972.
New Delhi restricted the UN observers’ access to the Indian side of the LoC. It, however, continued to provide accommodation, transport and other facilities to the UNMOGIP, which maintains offices in both Srinagar and Islamabad with field stations on the Pakistani side of the LoC.
When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif had met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 29 last, the two countries had agreed that the DGMOs of the two countries would meet and to find out “effective means to restore the ceasefire and a way forward to ensure that it remains in force and in place.”
The two sides had also agreed that truce violations should be stopped and peace and tranquility should be maintained along the border.
Sources said that the two DGMOs would discuss about some proposed ground rules to ensure that the ceasefire remained in force along the LoC.
New Delhi blamed Pakistan’s armed forces for 194 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control this year.