Asking Pakistan to adhere to the ceasefire agreement to restore peace on the borders, the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said here on Friday that an “extension of the ceasefire in J&K could be considered”.
“We suspended operations to allow people here to live and understand [a] peaceful atmosphere. People are happy. If this environment continues, we can think of continuing with the non-initiation of combat operations,” General Rawat said on the sidelines of his visit to a goodwill school at Pahalgam in in Anantnag.
“However, we may have to rethink in case terrorists conduct some action,” he said.
‘Ceasefire violated’
The Army chief said the security forces were for restoration of peace on the borders, “but Pakistan is continuously committing ceasefire violations and hurting civilians.”
“We cannot sit with hands folded in this situation. If Pakistan wants peace, they should take the initiative by stopping the infiltration by terrorists and their camps. I can assure you peace on the borders,” General Rawat said.
Reacting to the Army’s ceasefire announcement, Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in his Friday sermon, said, “This needs to be followed up by resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan. An intra-Kashmir dialogue between the five regions of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir [Pakistan-occupied Kashmir] and Gilgit-Baltistan should be allowed simultaneously. This can lead to a sincere dialogue process to see a lasting solution for the Kashmir problem by people’s aspirations.”
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who visited the border areas of Jammu, also appealed to the leadership of Pakistan “to respect the sentiment of Ramzan”. Ms. Mufti said, “Pakistan should respond positively.”
One dead
Meanwhile, fresh militancy-related incidents left one youth dead, as a bid to snatch weapons in the Valley was foiled.
The police said that the body of Mohammad Yaqoob Wagay of Hajin in Bandipora was recovered on Friday morning. His throat was slit. “The Lashkar-e-Taiba is involved in this killing,” the police said.
In a separate incident, an Army sniffer dog was killed in a grenade blast at Neehama in Kulgam.
Militants lobbed the grenade at the Army’s 34 Rashtriya Rifles but no injuries were reported, the police said.
The police also foiled a rifle-snatching bid when two militants tried to approach the Station Grid Wanpoh in Kulgam district. “However, the alert sentry fired some gunshots in the air and the militants escaped from the spot,” the police said.
