India and Pakistan agrees to observe “2003 Ceasefire agreement”

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India and Pakistan have issued a joint statement to strictly observe the 2003 Ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control(LoC).

About India-Pakistan 2003 Ceasefire agreement:

• The 2003 ceasefire was a landmark agreement between India and Pakistan.
• The agreement came soon after both the countries had almost gone to war following the 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament.
• The 2003 ceasefire agreement resulted in 3 years of peace till 2006 on the border.
• The ceasefire facilitated the opening of the routes between India and Pakistan. It paved the way for bus and truck services linking Kashmir regions for the first time in six decades. Moreover, it encouraged cross-LoC contacts, exchanges, travel, and trade.
• The ceasefire also enabled India to complete the construction of a fence near the LoC. This project began a couple of decades earlier but had to suspend due to Pakistan’s artillery fire.

Source: The Hindu

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