New Delhi, August 26
After days of cross-border firing, India and Pakistan today took the first step to reduce tension. The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) on both sides spoke over the phone and agreed to conduct regular flag meetings at the local level along the 749-km Line of Control (LoC) and the 198-km-long international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

The effect of today’s conversation would percolate down to the field level on both sides by this evening and the success, if any, of the discussion could be gauged by tomorrow evening, sources said.

The DGMOs spoke around noon today and the conversation lasted 10 minutes during which the two officers, who control the operations of their respective armies, put forward their points of view. Both sides agreed that cross-border firing was not helping any side, sources said.

Indian DGMO Lt-Gen PR Kumar spoke to his counterpart Maj Gen Aamer Riaz and conveyed his displeasure at increased firing from across the border and loss to civilian lives and property. The talk was cordial during which “all relevant issues” were raised, Army officials said here. A telephonic hotline is installed between the Indian Army headquarters at South Block here and the Pakistan Army headquarters at Rawalpindi. This will be keenly watched development as the DGMOs of the two countries on December 24 last year had agreed to make these telephonic conversations more result-oriented. A joint statement issued then had said: “A consensus was developed to make hotline contact between the two DGMOs more effective and result-oriented”.