efforts against Pakistan, alleging violations across the Line of Control.

Singh has put all the blame on Nawazs shoulders, essentiall accusing him of not abiding b the agreement between the two leaders to maintain the ceasefire along the LoC. Pakistan has predictabl fired back b claiming that most of the unprovoked firing has come from !ndias side. Pakistan has claimed unprovoked !ndian firing, mainl in the Sialkot sector. !t has killed and in"ured mostl civilians. #he incidents continue to be reported with !ndia claiming $%% LoC violations in $%&' while Pakistan sa ing it faces regular attacks across the border. #here is obviousl no wa of independentl verif ing all these claims. (ut the situation on the LoC has become so bad that even the traditional e)change of sweets on *idul +zha between soldiers of the two countries did not take place. ,n a more concrete level, the suspension of bus services across the LoC has affected thousands of families who are separated b the de-facto border. #he countries must realise that increasing tensions along the LoC have an impact on people who have nothing to do with power pla s and geopolitical strategic gamesmanship. #he h ping of incidents be ond measure ends up causing more damage to hopes of peace than the original incidents ever could. !t is also clear that the mechanisms established in the past to prevent "ust such a situation from arising have not reall worked. #hese also included regular e)changes between the directors general of militar operations on both sides and hotline links between those on the ground. !t is unclear to what degree hawks, most notabl in !ndia, are pla ing up things as that countr moves towards a general election. (ut, at all costs, we need peace to win. .or this to happen new means must be found to tackle the LoC issue and ensure an goodwill the top leadership of both countries have trickles lower down the ranks. Peace between the two countries is vital to the region, and methods to prevent it from being disrupted must be found. #he LoC is impossible to defend from all infiltration and so if blame has to be apportioned for an unauthorised movement across the border, it needs to be shared e/uall . !ndia, as the prime instigator of the war of words, needs to realise that the cause of peace is not helped b belligerence. #his ma consume the entiret of the Pakistan-!ndia relationship and whatever progress had been made on economic and political fronts over the last two ears. Progress that Nawaz Sharif has alwa s said he is keen to continue. Singh must ratchet down the tension and rel on diplomac , not aggression.