The Daily Times of Lahore reports:

Four Pakistani soldiers killed in LoC clash

ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistani soldiers were killed and three wounded on Thursday in a clash with “unidentified militants” on the Line of Control (LoC).

“The fire was not from the Indian bunkers,” ISPR Director General Maj Gen Athar Abbas said. He said a Pakistani patrol had challenged a group of people in woods in the Hajira area of southern Kashmir on the Pakistan side of the LoC, who then opened fire.

The firing continued into the night, he said, adding that the army was yet to ascertain who was responsible for the incident. Lt Col Shantanu Dass Goswami, an Indian army spokesman, said Indian and Pakistani troops both fired at the attackers, who he said were attempting to infiltrate(emphasis mine) (to) the Indian side from Pakistan. The fighting lasted about five hours, he said.

“There was an information sharing from both the sides to zero in on the militants,” Goswami said.(Emphasis mine)

Separatist rebels have been battling Indian rule in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. India has accused Pakistan of training and arming the rebels although Pakistan denies that, saying it only offers political support to them. staff report/reuters

Is it too much to hope that this is a precursor to the future ? There is a truism that democratic regimes do not tend to lie as often and do not generally support extremists. The jury is out on Pakistani predelictions, but the tea leaves(or is it the lamb entrails) are propitious ! Time and events, particularly in Pakistan, will tell. But, here is to hoping.