Pakistan shouldn’t violate the buffer zone at LoC

Tension between governments of India and Pakistan has escalated in the last few weeks. The verbal jousting has also spilled over to the United Nations. The current tension has also shown up in terms of repeated ceasefire violations. On Sunday, matters came dangerously close to getting worse when India’s air defense system directed small arms fire at a Pakistani helicopter violating the existing protocol which has carved out a buffer zone to prevent accidents. The Pakistani helicopter was ostensibly carrying Raja Farooq Haidar Khan, prime minister of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

India and Pakistan in 2003 reached a ceasefire understanding, which among other things aims to avoid ratcheting up problems. In May, both armies reiterated the understanding. It’s important at this moment for them to keep all channels of communication open to ensure that the situation does not spin out of control. As long as Pakistan uses terror as a strategic tool, its relationship with India will be volatile. Given this backdrop, it’s imperative that both armies scrupulously stick to the modus vivendi to prevent the situation from spinning out of control. Sunday’s incident did not lead to fatalities. But it did show how easily the situation can spin out of control. There is a buffer zone at the Line of Control and it needs to be observed.

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