Understanding the Line of Control: Origin and Definition
Tensions on the Line of Control (LoC) intensified this week, with the Pakistani army firing multiple times in Jammu and Kashmir. In response, the Indian Army held its ground, avoiding any casualties, according to military sources. This aggressive action comes just two days after the devastating attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 innocent people. In retaliation, India has taken several robust diplomatic actions, including ejecting Pakistani military attachés, halting the Indus Waters Treaty, and closing down the Attari land transit post. All these measures were executed under the premise of cross-border links to the Pahalgam incident.
What Exactly is the LoC?
Often referred to as the de facto military frontline, the Line of Control (LoC) separates administered Jammu & Kashmir (including Ladakh) from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This boundary was established following the Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan in 1972, after the Indo-Pak war of 1971. The LoC should not be confused with an international border, but rather a ceasefire line mutually accepted by both countries.
The Roots of the LoC
The LoC's roots can be traced back to the initial India-Pakistan war of 1947–48. In October 1947, Indian troops were deployed to protect Kashmir from Pakistani-supported tribal raiders. The fighting continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire was reached in January 1949. The Karachi Agreement of July 1949 established the Cease-Fire Line (CFL), the precursor to the current LoC. It stretched from Manawar near Akhnoor in Jammu to Keran in the Kupwara district and towards the glacier area in Ladakh, ending at point NJ9842. Regions lying beyond this boundary were considered inaccessible and undefined [1].
The Shifts in 1971
After Pakistan's violent crackdown in East Pakistan in December 1971, India took part in the war, which ultimately resulted in the formation of Bangladesh and the capture of approximately 93,000 Pakistani soldiers. In the west, India moved into Pakistan-held Kashmir, asserting control over strategic areas like Turtuk, which had been under Pakistani occupation according to the 1949 CFL. After India and Pakistan signed the Simla Agreement on July 2, 1972, the ceasefire line became the Line of Control (LoC) [1].
Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto agreed to respect the LoC without prejudice to their respective positions on the Kashmir question. Additionally, they vowed to desist from unilaterally modifying the LoC by force or other means, and to withdraw troops within 30 days following the agreement's enforcement [1].
The Significance of the Simla Agreement
Clause 4 of the Simla Agreement binds both parties to:
- Respect the LoC without prejudice to their respective positions on the Kashmir question.
- Desist from unilaterally modifying the LoC by force or other means.
- Carry out withdrawal of troops within 30 days after the agreement's enforcement.
Although the LoC represents a boundary by military accord rather than an international border subject to an eventual settlement of the Kashmir conflict, recent incidents like the Pahalgam attack have threatened its stability and raised concerns about potential future escalations between the two nuclear-armed nations [1]. In a drastic turn of events, Pakistan's National Security Committee, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, hinted at suspending all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement, which would indeed challenge the very existence of the LoC and further exacerbate tensions between the two nations.
[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/15/rwanda-offers-to-take-in-50000-afghans[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61181422[3] https://www.loc.gov/rr/pubs/storage/NKashmir/nkashmir.html[4] https://www.csis.org/analysis/kashmir-conflict-explained[5] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-40081010
The Line of Control (LoC), often referred to as a de facto military frontline, separates administered Jammu & Kashmir (including Ladakh) from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Originating from the initial India-Pakistan war of 1947–48, the LoC was established following a United Nations-brokered ceasefire in January 1949, and the Karachi Agreement of July 1949 set up the Cease-Fire Line (CFL), the precursor to the current LoC.
In 1971, after the formation of Bangladesh and the capture of approximately 93,000 Pakistani soldiers, India moved into Pakistan-held Kashmir, asserting control over strategic areas like Turtuk, which had been under Pakistani occupation according to the 1949 CFL. The Simla Agreement, signed between India and Pakistan on July 2, 1972, transformed the ceasefire line into the Line of Control (LoC).
Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto agreed to respect the LoC without prejudice to their respective positions on the Kashmir question and to desist from unilaterally modifying the LoC by force or other means, as outlined in Clause 4 of the Simla Agreement.
However, recent incidents like the Pahalgam attack have raised concerns about potential future escalations between the two nuclear-armed nations, prompting Pakistan's National Security Committee to hint at suspending all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement, which would indeed challenge the very existence of the LoC and further exacerbate tensions between the two nations.
