Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services (JKPSC)

• 28 Feb 2025

Army Vehicle Fired Upon in J&K

Why in News? 

On 26 February 2025, suspected militants opened fire on an Army vehicle in the Pir Panjal Valley’s Sunderbani sector in Rajouri district. Security forces launched a search operation after the attack in the forest range. 

 Key Points 

• Firing Incident: 
  • Preliminary reports indicated a brief exchange of fire at Phal village in the Sunderbani sector of Nowshera. 
  • Gunshots were heard from a nearby forest area as an Army vehicle moved through the region. 
• No Casualties Reported: 
  • Officials confirmed that the incident did not result in any casualties. 
  • The firing occurred near the Line of Control (LoC). 
• Security Response and Search Operation: 
  • Security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation (CASO) in the nearby pockets of Phal village. 
  • Rajouri district has previously witnessed infiltration incidents along the LoC. 

 Line of Control  

  

• The Line of Control (LoC) emerged from the 1948 ceasefire line negotiated by the United Nations (UN) after the Kashmir War.  
• It was designated as the LoC in 1972, following the Shimla Agreement between the two countries.  
• LoC is demarcated up to the Siachen Glacier (Point NJ9842)- the world's highest battlefield.  
• LoC is delineated on a map signed by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both armies and has the international sanctity of a legal agreement.  

 Pir Panjal   

• About:   
  • The Pir Panjal Range is a mountain range in the northern Indian subcontinent.   
  • It begins in Ramban and extends westward, lying south of Jammu and Kashmir’s Vale of Kashmir, reaching Muzaffarabad District.   
  • The range rises sharply to an average elevation of over 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).   
  • It separates the Jammu Hills in the south from the Vale of Kashmir, beyond which lie the Great Himalayas.   
  • The range separates from the Himalayas near the banks of the Sutlej River.   
  • It forms a natural divide between the Beas and Ravi rivers on one side and the Chenab River on the other.   
• Major Passes:   
  • The range has six historical passes, Hajipir Pass, Gulabgarh Pass, Ratanpir Pass, Pir Panjal Pass, Banihal Pass, Bairam Gala Pass.   
• Important Peaks:   
  • Deo Tibba (6,001 m) and Indrasan (6,221 m) are two significant peaks at the eastern end of the range 

India Slams Pakistan on J&K Issue

Why in News? 

India strongly criticized Pakistan for raising the Jammu and Kashmir issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 

 Key Points 

• India’s Response: 
  • India exercised its Right of Reply at the 58th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 26 February, 2025. 
  • The response came after Pakistan once again raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the multilateral forum. 
• Strong Rebuttal to Pakistan’s Allegations: 
  • Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, dismissed Pakistan’s claims as “baseless and malicious.” 
  • He criticized Pakistan’s leaders for spreading “falsehoods handed down by its military-terrorist complex.” 
• Criticism of Pakistan’s Governance and Policies: 
  • India described Pakistan as a “failed state” that thrives on instability and survives on international handouts. 
  • The counsellor accused Pakistan of hypocrisy, human rights abuses, minority persecution, and the systematic erosion of democratic values. 
  • He asserted that Pakistan harbors UN-sanctioned terrorists and lacks credibility to lecture others on human rights. 
  • India accused Pakistan of misusing the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as its propaganda tool. 
• Jammu and Kashmir’s Development Under India: 
  • The counsellor reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India. 
  • He highlighted the region’s unprecedented political, social, and economic progress in recent years. 
  • He stated that these developments reflect the people’s trust in the government’s commitment to normalcy and peace, despite decades of Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism. 

 United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 

• About: 
  • The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. 
• Formation: 
  • The Council was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 2006. It replaced the former United Nations Commission on Human Rights. 
  • The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serves as the Secretariat of the Human Rights Council. 
  • OHCHR is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.