State PCS - JAMMU & KASHMIR (JKAS)

• 25 Apr 2025

Violation of Ceasefire at LOC

Why in News? 

Days after the Pahalgam terror attack, the Pakistan Army fired from multiple posts along the Line of Control (LoC), violating the ceasefire. Indian forces responded with retaliatory fire, Indian Army officials confirmed. 

 Key Points 

• Pahalgam Terror Attack Triggers Crisis: 
  • On 22 April 2025, terrorists killed 26 tourists in a brutal attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. 
  • The attack has sparked nationwide outrage and triggered widespread protests demanding tougher action against Pakistan. 
• India Takes Diplomatic Countermeasures: 
  • The central government closed the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari. 
  • It suspended the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals and gave them 40 hours to return. 
  • India also reduced the strength of diplomatic staff in both High Commissions. 
  • India has suspended the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) until Pakistan ceases its support for cross-border terrorism.  
    • It reflects a shift in India’s strategic calculus, using hydrological leverage as a pressure tool. 

 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. 

 Indus Waters Treaty 

• The IWT, signed in 1960 in Karachi after nine years of negotiations between India and Pakistan, was mediated by the World Bank.  
  • The treaty allocates the "Eastern Rivers" of the Indus system (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) to India for unrestricted use, while the "Western Rivers" (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) are reserved for Pakistan, effectively giving Pakistan access to about 80% of the total water.   
    • India is allowed limited non-consumptive uses of the Western Rivers, such as for navigation, agriculture, and hydroelectricity, subject to design and operational conditions under the treaty.  
  • IWT established a Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) to ensure annual dialogue and cooperation, and laid out a three-tier dispute resolution mechanism, including resolution at the PIC level, through a Neutral Expert (appointed by the World Bank or jointly by the India and Pakistan), or if needed, a Court of Arbitration.