Group formed to study problems of people living near Indo-Pak border, LoC

A committee to study problems being faced by people near the Indo-Pak and and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir because of regular ceasefire violations by Pakistan has been set up by the government, an official said. The group will meet people living in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, security forces deployed there, district administration officials and public representatives and submit a report within two months.

“The competent authority has approved the constitution of a study group to consider various problems being faced by the people…” an order issued by the Union Home Ministry said. The special secretary in the home ministry, Rina Mitra, will head the team. The principal secretary (home) in the Jammu and Kashmir government, the divisional commissioner of Jammu and the divisional commissioner of Srinagar are members of the group, while the joint secretary (J&K) in the home ministry is the member-secretary.

The study group will also submit its recommendations on the remedial action that needs to be taken, the order issued by the government on Thursday said. India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the border and 740 km of the LOC are in Jammu and Kashmir. There has been a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in recent times.

Till August 1, there were 285 violations by Pakistani forces, while in 2016 the number was 228 for the entire year, according to army figures. There were 83 ceasefire violations, one border action team attack and two infiltration bids from the Pakistani side in June in which four people, among them three soldiers, were killed and 12 injured. Eleven people, among them nine soldiers, were killed and 18 injured in Pakistani ceasefire violations in July.