‘ Pakistan can’t be trusted’, BSF on ceasefire violation

◗ In May, DGMOs of the two nations had agreed to ‘ fully implement’ the ceasefire pact of 2003 in ‘ letter and spirit’

Less than a week after the Director Generals of Military Operations ( DGMOs) of India and Pakistan agreed to implement the ceasefire pact of 2003 in “letter and spirit”, active hostilities again broke out between the border guards of two countries early Sunday.

Two Border Security Force ( BSF) jawans were killed and seven civilian injured in ceasefire violation of Pakistani border guards in Pargwal sector of Akhnoor area of Jammu and Kashmir, the officials in Jammu said. Firing and shelling by Pakistani border guards was reported also from neighbouring Kanhachak area.

They said that the Pakistan’s Punjab Rangers resorted to “unprovoked and indiscriminate” firing along the International Border ( IB) – called Working Boundary ( WB) by Islamabad- at around 2 am on Sunday. “They targeted a BSF Border Outpost

( BoPs) and civilian areas in Pargwal sector of the IB at 2 am,” the officials said.

The BSF said that its assistance sub- inspector S. N. Yadav and constable V. K. Pandey were injured in the Pakistani firing. “They were rushed to a nearby medical facility but succumbed soon,” a spokesman o the paramilitary force said in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesman added that the BSF retaliated to Pakistani firing “effectively and strongly.”

BSF’s Inspector General ( Jammu Frontier) Ram Awtar while commenting on the latest ceasefire violation said that Pakistan has yet again proved that it cannot be trusted upon. “As you all know Pakistan never keeps its words. It is not reliable and trustworthy as after DGMOs talks agreeing for ceasefire they have resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing both at our BoPs and civilian areas in Pargwal and Kanhachak areas ”, he told reporter in Jammu at the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of the two slain jawans.

“It was not a sniping, but ceasefire violation, in which two of our jawans sustained injuries and later attained martyrdom. We have given a strong and befitting reply, but so far the damage across the border could not be ascertained,” he said. He added, “We did not target the civilian areas across the border, but only retaliated to cross border firing.” Replying questions, he said there were no fresh inputs of attempt of infiltration amid ceasefire violation by Pakistani border guards. A report from Jammu said that the exchanges of small and medium weapons and mortar guns involving as many as ten BSF BoPs are going on since Sunday morning.