Senior Indian and Pakistani military officials agreed on Tuesday to reduce escalations along the border in view of the suffering of civilians living on both sides, the Pakistani army's media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

This comes after a spate of recent clashes along the border which has resulted in civilian casualties.

A special hotline contact was established between Pakistan and Indian Director General Military Operations (DGMOs) on Tuesday. They then reviewed the prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary and "mutually agreed to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders," the ISPR said in a statement.

"Both DGMOs agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit forthwith and to ensure that henceforth the ceasefire will not be violated by both sides," it said.

Both the DGMOs also agreed that in case of any issue, restraint will be exercised, and the matter will be resolved through utilization of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local commander's level.

Pakistan and India declared a ceasefire in 2003 along the LoC and Working Boundary. However, both countries routinely accuse each other of ceasefire violations. 

The development came to light during a conversation over a hotline between the two DGMOs, Pakistan’s DGMO Major General Sahir Shamshad and India’sDGMO Lt Gen Anil Chauhan, according to the Economic Times report.

“It was also mutually agreed that in case of any issue, restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilisation of existing mechanisms of Hotline Contacts and Border Flag Meetings at Local Commanders’ Level,” he said.

The report said that the previous DGMO level talk was held last month. At the time Chauhan had told his counterpart that firing by Indian troops is only carried out in response to support given by the Pakistan Army to armed terrorists, who infiltrate across the border and target Indian Army posts. Chauhan had conveyed to his counterpart that India will continue to take all retaliatory measures.