Breaking all its records since 2003, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) for the maximum times this year in nearly two decades. Pakistan has reportedly committed 5,100 violations of ceasefire in this year alone along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The number is highest in around 18 years. The ceasefire violations by Pakistan has left around 36 people dead including 24 security personnel and has injured around 130 people. 15 soldiers were martyred along the LoC in Jammu region.
Pakistan resorted to heavy shelling post abrogation of Article 370
In 2019, there were reportedly 3,289 ceasefire violations by the Islamic country along the Indo-Pak border. Out of these ceasefire violations, 1,565 happened in August 2019 along following the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. In the year before, Pakistan violated ceasefire 2,936 times with an average of 8 cases per day. These violations claimed the lives of 61 people and injured 250.
This year, ceasefire violations by Pakistan were five times that of 2017 in which 971 violations were recorded. 31 people including 12 civilians and 19 security personnel lost their lives in the ceasefire violations in 2017 while 151 were injured. Before both the countries agreed to cease fire along the LoC in 2003, 8, 376 incidents of shelling and firing by Pakistani troops occurred along the border in 2002.
However, for three continuous years- 2004, 2005 and 2006 no violation of ceasefire was recorded. Since 2009 onwards, ceasefire violations by Pakistan has only increased. These violations have severely affected the people living in the border areas including Jammu, Kathu, Kupwara and Baramulla, Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Shelling has forced border residents to migrate
According to officials, shelling and firing by Pakistan has forced people to migrate to safer places thrice which has affected education and agricultural activities. A fund of Rs 415 crore was sanctioned by the central government for the protection of border residents to construct underground bunkers along the LoC and the International Border (IB). 7,777 bunkers have been constructed in Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts and tenders have reportedly been floated for building more such shelters. India shares 3,323 km border with Pakistan of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.