Citizens’ groups urge India and Pakistan to implement the 2003 ceasefire and resolve all issues through talks

With the civilian death toll rising and desperate villagers forced to flee their homes due to the continuous firing since October 1st across the disputed Kashmir border, citizens’ groups are urging the governments of India and Pakistan to respect the 2003 ceasefire and to resolve all issues through dialogue.

Writing on behalf of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), Hina Jilani and Dr. Nimalka Fernando note that who remain in the border villages “are under constant fear of death, destruction of their homes and killing of their cattle. Many of these villages are still in the process of recovering from the devastation wrought by the recent floods in the region. Livelihoods are once again under threat and the survival for these communities made even more challenging by resort to hostilities by both sides.

“SAHR is deeply disturbed by the apparent lack of respect by both skirmishing sides for the protection of civilian populations in accordance with international humanitarian law, and the binding principles of the duty to protect under international human rights law.”

Besides SAHR, the Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) and the youth group Aaghaz-e-Dosti have also urged India and Pakistan to stop the ceasefire violations. They agree that the situation cannot be resolved militarily and that both countries must talk to resolve the contentious issues between them.

“Apportioning blame on the other by each side or provocative and threatening language by both political and military leadership of the two countries will not end the suffering of people,” as SAHR points out.

Congratulating Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, SAHR said “They both represent South Asia’s long-standing tradition of people’s movements for human rights, peace and for social progress.” It commends and endorses Malala’s call for ending hostilities at the borders between India and Pakistan and her plea to both nations to make peace a reality.”

Hopefully, both Prime Ministers will take note of this plea and will respond positively to the invitation to attend the award ceremony in December. PIPFPD and Aaghaz-e-Dosti also called for joint monitoring of the situation at the border. The violence engulfing the Line of Control is also severely impacting fishermen in the Indian Ocean, further notes PIPFPD, referring to the increased number of “orchestrated arrests” of fishermen by India and Pakistan.

With elections round the corner in key Indian states including J&K and the domestic turmoil in Pakistan, both nations are resorting to ‘border nationalism’, says PIPFPD.

PIPFPD urges immediate restoration of “flag meetings” and contacts between the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India and Pakistan. The group also calls upon the governments of India and Pakistan to allow the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play an active role in monitoring the ceasefire, and for a status report by UNMOGIP.

Both PIPFPD and Aaghaz-e-Dosti stress the media role in the situation. PIPFPD suggests that a team of senior reporters on both sides visit to the border villages and help bring normalcy to the situation. Aaghaz-e-Dosti further demands “accountability and transparency from our Governments. We demand peace. We demand a solution.”