[ti:Pakistan, India Reach Rare Deal to Honor Kashmir Truce]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]Pakistan and India have agreed to immediately end
[00:05.88]military hostilities in the disputed area of Kashmir.
[00:12.40]The two nations promised Thursday to honor a 2003 truce
[00:20.36]to reduce tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
[00:27.32]In a joint statement, top military commanders
[00:31.84]said they had discussed in a "cordial atmosphere"
[00:36.84]the situation along the Line of Control that splits Kashmir.
[00:43.32]Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan,
[00:48.24]but both countries claim the whole territory.
[00:52.32]It has been the cause of two of the three wars between the countries
[00:58.64]since both gained independence from Britain in 1947.
[01:05.16]A statement released by Pakistan's army
[01:08.88]said the two nations had agreed to observe
[01:13.20]"all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the LOC."
[01:21.36]It also said that in the interest of peace,
[01:25.04]the two sides had agreed to discuss each other's main concerns
[01:31.48]in an effort to prevent further violence.
[01:35.72]Indian and Pakistani military commanders
[01:39.80]also agreed on the need to use existing arrangements
[01:44.80]between the two sides to settle any problems that may arise,
[01:50.36]the statement said.
[01:52.56]Thursday's communication between the two militaries
[01:57.64]-- through an established hotline
[02:00.40]-- came after months of worsening relations between Pakistan and India.
[02:07.32]Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi
[02:13.00]called the understanding an "important step" toward peace in the area.
[02:19.80]He added that while the agreement can be a "good beginning,"
[02:24.44]it also requires India to demonstrate sincerity.
[02:30.16]South Asia experts in India welcomed the move.
[02:35.56]"It's a good development and should have happened
[02:39.48]a long time ago," said Amit Baruah.
[02:44.24]He is editor of The Hindu newspaper in Delhi.
[02:49.16]"India and Pakistan may not see eye-to-eye,
[02:53.12]but contact is always good for the sake of the people
[02:57.48]living on either side of the Line of Control," Baruah told VOA.
[03:04.52]The two countries agreed to the 2003 Kashmir ceasefire
[03:10.28]at a time when the world worried that hostilities over Kashmir
[03:15.80]could grow into a nuclear conflict.
[03:19.40]However, small military conflicts at the border
[03:23.60]have become common in recent years.
[03:27.00]Each side has accused the other of truce violations.
[03:32.40]Both countries say the violence has caused hundreds of casualties
[03:38.32]to security forces and civilians.
[03:42.44]India has long accused Pakistan of arming Muslim separatists
[03:49.12]fighting Indian rule in Kashmir.
[03:52.24]Pakistan denies the charges.
[03:55.28]It says Indian security forces have committed
[03:59.64]"atrocities" against Kashmiris.
[04:03.60]India's Hindustan Times newspaper
[04:07.36]said the new agreement was the result of secret talks
[04:11.80]between Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval
[04:17.84]and his Pakistani counterpart, Moeed Yusuf.
[04:23.28]Tensions have increased sharply since August 2019.
[04:28.16]At that time, India canceled Kashmir's constitutional right
[04:34.08]to limited self-rule in the part of Kashmir it controls.
[04:39.64]It split the area into two new territories
[04:44.48]and enforced tough new security and communications rules
[04:49.80]in the majority Muslim area.
[04:52.64]Pakistan's government saw the move as a violation
[04:57.72]of a United Nations Security Council resolution
[05:01.76]that recognizes Kashmir as a disputed territory.
[05:06.96]Its relationship with India worsened
[05:10.52]as it demanded that the action be changed.
[05:14.44]India said the move was part of efforts aimed at improving security
[05:20.72]and bringing economic growth to Kashmir.
[05:25.88]I'm Susan Shand. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM