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4.172.4

India and

As one of the UN’s oldest peacekeeping oper- ations, the UN Military Observer Group in UN Military Observer Group in and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) was estab- lished in 1949 and has consisted for many • Start date January 1949 years of approximately forty-five military • Chief military observer Major-General Dragutin Repinc observers deployed to supervise the cease-fire (Croatia) between Indian and Pakistani forces, based on • Budget $8.37 million (appropriation for 2005) the Karachi Agreement of 27 July 1949. Large- • Strength as of Military observers: 44 scale military hostilities broke out again in 31 October 2005 International civilian staff: 21 1965–1966 and in 1971, after which a cease- Local civilian staff: 47 fire was secured and included in the . However, from 1989 until 2003, firing along the (LoC) between the two armies was commonplace and there of cease-fire violations with UNMOGIP. In were frequent incidents of violence in Indian- November 2003, the administered Jammu and . In recent declared a unilateral cease-fire covering the years, political relations between the two international border between the two countries, countries have improved, including tentative the LoC and the working boundary between cooperation to deal with the aftermath of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. the devastating earthquake in October 2005. Without a Security Council decision to Despite India’s official position that UNMOGIP make a change, UNMOGIP has continued to has no operational role to play since the Simla fulfill its mandate established in 1949 with vir- Agreement of 1972, UNMOGIP continues to tually the same administrative arrangements. perform the limited function of monitoring the Its task is to monitor the cease-fire along the cease-fire along the LoC, pending settlement LoC and report to the Secretary-General on of the underlying dispute over Jammu and developments that affect the observance of the Kashmir. cease-fire. It investigates complaints and re- The LoC that was established in 1972 fol- ports on them to United Nations headquarters. lows, with minor deviations, the cease-fire line India has somewhat restricted the activities that had been established under the 1949 Karachi and movement of UN personnel on its side of Agreement. However, India and Pakistan the LoC by requiring the UN military observ- retained divergent positions on UNMOGIP’s ers to travel in Indian army convoys, and has continued role. India took the position that the rejected proposals that the UN take a mediat- mandate of UNMOGIP had lapsed, as it related ing role in the conflict. However, both govern- specifically to the cease-fire line under the ments have continued to provide UNMOGIP Karachi Agreement. Pakistan disagreed with with accommodation, transportation, security, this position and continued to lodge complaints and other support.

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126 • MISSION NOTES

Political relations between India and Pak- estimated 73,000 people and leaving some 3 istan have fluctuated over the years, but took million homeless, primarily on the Pakistan- a turn for the better in January 2004, when an administered side of the LoC. There were agreement was reached to commence a bilat- also UNMOGIP casualties. The two govern- eral “composite dialogue” on an agreed range ments cautiously sought to cooperate in pro- of issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. viding assistance to the victims of the earth- Numerous confidence-building measures were quake. In the immediate aftermath, India instigated and further progress was made in stated that it would permit Pakistani helicop- April 2005, when the two states held a mini- ters to operate over the LoC. Similarly, Pres- summit to discuss the fate of Jammu and ident Pervez Musharraf offered to open the Kashmir. In September 2005, India announced LoC to enable earthquake survivors and their that it would reduce its troop levels in Indian- families to cross, and to help with relief and administered Jammu and Kashmir, pending an reconstruction efforts. In November, the two end to alleged infiltration of militants from countries opened five crossing points initially across the LoC. to facilitate the movement of relief supplies, Although India has yet to follow through and eventually of civilians. on this reduction, diplomatic developments Despite these goodwill gestures, violence are encouraging. However, concerns have in the region persists, including continued been raised by representatives of civil society attacks by suspected militants and counter- on both sides of the LoC that public engage- insurgency activities by the Indian military. In ment on the fate of Jammu and Kashmir has the week following the earthquake, the Indian been limited and fails to address fully the army killed twenty-nine suspected militants, concerns of the local population. During the and Ghulam Nabi Lone, the education minis- past year, the Secretary-General has sup- ter in Indian-administered Jammu and Kash- ported the composite dialogue and the confi- mir, was assassinated. UNMOGIP’s narrow dence-building measures undertaken by the mandate and India’s thus far unchanged posi- governments of India and Pakistan, including tion on its status mean that the mission’s the introduction of a bus service between Mu- capacity to contribute to a further easing of zafarrabad and Srinagar, across the LoC. tensions remains limited. On 8 October 2005, the region suffered a devastating earthquake, killing more than an