THE death of seven Pakistani soldiers, announced by the military’s media wing on Monday, as a result of cross-LoC Indian shelling is tragic and deserving of the strongest condemnation. The incident once again underscores the dangerously frayed state of Pakistan-India relations in the aftermath of September’s Uri attack. Disturbingly, there are no signs that the belligerence will end soon. Ever since militants attacked a military facility in the India-held Kashmir town, there has been regular exchange of fire across the LoC and the Working Boundary, with numerous military and civilian casualties. The latest tragedy is said to be the deadliest incident of firing involving military casualties in a single day in a decade. In addition, some 26 civilians have been killed due to Indian shelling on the Pakistani side since the Uri attack.

The reaction from the state to this provocation has been swift though expected, with the prime minister reiterating his resolve to defend the country. The Indian high commissioner was also summoned to the Foreign Office and told that further belligerence could lead to a “strategic miscalculation”. While open talk of war has died down to a large extent post-Uri, the constant LoC and Working Boundary violence has the potential of escalating into a more dangerous confrontation. There may be little appetite for war in the two establishments — if one ignores the shrill cries of the super hawks and armchair warriors in the media. But, unless the guns fall silent, further loss of civilian or military life caused by such aggression could see temperatures rise further, exacerbating the current diplomatic stand-off — over the past few weeks, both India and Pakistan have expelled each other’s diplomats for indulging in “undesirable activities”. If not checked, this exchange of vitriol on the diplomatic front, coupled with the exchange of firepower across the LoC and Working Boundary, could also result in similar aggression along the international border.

As we have stated previously, the only way to improve relations and end the hostility is for Islamabad and New Delhi to talk to each other. Unfortunately, India does not appear to want to sort out differences with Pakistan. Whether it is India’s concerns about the alleged use of Pakistani soil by non-state actors to launch militant activities inside its borders, or Pakistan’s belief that New Delhi is fomenting trouble in Balochistan, all issues need to be discussed frankly. Over the last seven decades, both states have failed to resolve their outstanding issues on the battlefield; this indicates that the only path to peace is via the negotiating table. Meanwhile, the international community, specifically the UN, needs to play a more visible role in ensuring that there is no more violence along the frontiers and that both states resume the dialogue process as soon as possible.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2016