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Calm along Kashmir border

A near-total calm prevailed on the borders in the Kashmir valley for the first time since last year's Kargil war with no shelling by Pakistan after the Centre's unilateral ceasefire came into force on Monday.

''We have not witnessed shelling from across the border since the Ramazan ceasefire came into force,'' Deputy Inspector General of police, incharge of Baramulla and Kupwara districts, Dilbagh Singh, told PTI.

He said the borders are calm and people living there are happy over the development.

The shelling in the northern sectors of Kashmir including Uri, Gurez and Nowgam in Baramulla and Keran, Karnah Teetwal, Tangdhar and Machil in Kupwara had till recently been a routine affair since the outbreak of militancy in the valley 11 years ago.

The shelling, however, intensified after last year's Kargil war and there was no let up in it till the ceasefire came into force. Nearly 70 people have been killed and scores others wounded in the continous Pakistani shelling that also caused a large scale destruction to civilian property.

The residents of the border villages are all praise for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his bold peace initiative.

"It is a right decision... Only such bold initiatives will help build confidence between the two neighbours and bring them closer to each other which would bring to an end our worries and miseries," village Numberdar of Garkote Ghulam Mohammad Bajad said.

PTI

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