Addressing the ceasefire violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir will be at the top of the agenda as Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar lands in Islamabad for talks with his counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Tuesday.
Sources said Mr. Jaishankar will discuss India’s concerns over Pakistan’s ceasefire violations, which, according to a government reply in Parliament, numbered more than 685 in the past eight months and led to 24 people being killed. Pakistan has accused India of “unprovoked and indiscriminate” firing during the same period, and claimed that Indian troops have killed several of its civilians and troops along the border.
According to Pakistani media reports, the government will suggest Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to India in order to avoid another outbreak of violence at the LoC, including a new mechanism for hotlines, and talks between area commanders of border forces.
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad on Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz told journalists, “These negotiations will help to lower hostilities along the working boundary. The prime ministers of India and Pakistan can also meet at some point after the resumption of talks.”
The two Secretaries may also discuss strengthening other CBMs, including cross-LoC trade in Jammu and Kashmir with more trading points, as well as the visa regime. However, senior Indian officials counselled against expectations of “dramatic results” from the talks. “At best, what we are hoping for is an ice-breaker,” an official told The Hindu , adding that India’s concerns over the Mumbai 26/11 attack trial and of terror groups in Pakistan would also be taken up by Mr. Jaishankar.
