Pakistan calls Kashmir ceasefire

The two sides exchange fire almost daily

Pakistan's prime minister has announced a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed region of Kashmir as a gesture of goodwill to India.

In an address marking his first year in office, Zafarullah Jamali said Pakistani forces would stop firing from the Eid al-Fitr holiday due this week.

He said he hoped India would respond positively to the gesture.

The move follows measures announced unexpectedly by Delhi in October to improve ties with its neighbour.

The proposals, revealed by Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, include resuming cricket ties and boosting transport links.

But they included no offer of direct dialogue on Kashmir.

Indeed there has been no comment as yet from Delhi on the latest Pakistani proposal.

The armed forces of India and Pakistan exchange fire almost daily along the LoC, which divides the disputed territory into two halves.

The two countries have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir.

Last year, they massed hundreds of thousands of troops on the border following an attack on the Indian parliament, which India blamed on Islamic militants from Kashmir and Pakistani intelligence services.