Ceasefire violations by Pakistan along J&K border declined sharply in 2021

After witnessing over 5,100 incidents of ceasefire violations in 2020, the violations and killings at the border in Jammu and Kashmir this year was all-time low in the last more than a decade.

The year 2020 saw over 5,100 incidents of ceasefire violations which were the highest since 2003 when the armies of India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement. Last year, at least 36 civilians were killed and over 130 injured on the Indian side of Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) due to ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

The year 2019 also saw a huge number of ceasefire violations with 3,289 violations reported along the LoC and the IB. In 2018 nearly 3,000 ceasefire violations were reported along the LoC and the IB while the number was 971 cases in 2017.

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India shares a 3,323-km-long border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.

Before the government of India led by then Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee entered into a border ceasefire agreement with Pakistan in 2003, almost 5,800 ceasefire violations were reported in 2002. After the 2003 bilateral agreement, for the next three years -- 2004, 2005 and 2006 -- not a single ceasefire violation was reported on the border in J&K.

However, in 2007, Pakistan started to violate the bilateral agreement and 21 ceasefire violations were reported followed by 77 in 2008. There was a gradual increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan between 2009 and 2013. The corresponding figures for 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 were 347, 114, 62, 44, and 28 respectively.

However, the ceasefire violations dropped to 664 in the first six months of 2021 after armies of India and Pakistan recommitted themselves to ceasefire across the LoC and the IB. Of the 664 violations reported in 2021, January and February accounted for more than 99% of the incidents. While 380 incidents of ceasefire violations and cross-border firing by Pakistan were reported in January, in February, it dropped to 278. As per official figures, not a single civilian was killed in cross border gunfire in 2021.

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According to a joint statement released on February 25, “both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight 24/25 Feb 2021''. This statement followed a call between senior Indian and Pakistani military officers.

Notably, border shelling has killed hundreds of people in Kashmir and Jammu region since 1990 and left scores handicapped. Besides, houses and livestock worth billions of rupees have also been damaged as well due to the cross LoC shelling in J&K in the last more than three decades.

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