India, Pak thaw in sight...

New Delhi/Islamabad: In a sign that India and Pakistan were moving towards de-escalating the tense standoff on the Line of Control (LoC), the Indian army received assurances from the Pakistani side that Pakistani troops have been instructed to observe the ceasefire on the LoC strictly and “exercise restraint“.
“An understanding has been arrived at between the two directors-general of military operations to de-escalate the situation along the Line of Control (LoC),“ army spokesman Jagdeep Dahiya said, adding the two sides' senior military commanders had spoken for 10 minutes over telephone where they reached their agreement.
“The two DGMOs spoke to each other at 10 am (0430 GMT) for 10 minutes and the Pakistan DGMO said strict instructions have been passed not to violate the ceasefire,“ he said.
Dahiya said Indian troops stationed along the border would not breach the ceasefire forged between the two nuclear-armed rivals in 2003. “We have always upheld the ceasefire and have only retaliated,“ the spokesman said.
Sources said better sense appears to have prevailed among the Pakistanis. Most significantly, the conversation between the two DGMOs ­ India's DGMO Lt Gen. Vinod Bhatia and his Pakistani counterpart, Maj. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem ­ on Wednesday was not marked by hostility.
The Pakistani military confirmed the telephone conversation between the two commanders took place.
 
The Pakistani DGMO confirmed that orders were passed to troops to observe the ceasefire strictly and exercise restraint. Also, there was an understanding not to allow the situation to escalate, Army sources said.
By Wednesday evening, an Indian military source said there had been no cross-border firing since the two gen erals spoke. Our jawans don’t cross LoC. We honour human rights. We fire in retaliation when provoked. The relationship has to be seen on what has been going on at the border. This is my family too and I have come to meet them. His sacrifice will not be in vain.
UN mediation: BJP backs off
Two days after Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari suggested India raise in the United Nations the issue of beheading of an Indian soldier by Pakistan, the party on Wednesday said there is no need to approach the world body.
“We should not approach anybody,” said party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar when asked if the party felt the need to raise the matter before the United Nations.
“I expect the government of India to take this up in the United Nations. We should raise the issue in international platforms to isolate Pakistan... The Prime Minister should not keep quiet,” BJP chief Nitin Gadkari had said in Mathura. The issue was also raised by the national security adviser Shivshankar Menon during his meeting with Leaders of the Opposition on Tuesday.
While Mr Menon explained that government was against such a step as it would internationalise the issue, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley is understood to have told Menon that this was not the party's position and Gadkari's comments might have been misunderstood.
BJP on Wednesday demanded government takes concrete “real action” to make Pakistan understand that it should not dare to commit such a “barbaric” act again. “We have to expose Pakistan at every available opportunity,” said Mr Javadekar.
“It is not a matter of condemnation or verbal response. It needs a real response and this is the time when we can get a response whereby Pakistan will not indulge in such an act again,” Javadekar said.