The Pakistan military on Sunday accused the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) of opening unprovoked fire on Pakistani Rangers checkpost located in Sialkot Sector, triggering a diplomatic panic and adding fuel to the already blazing fire of bitterness between the two neighbours.
Pakistani Rangers started the retaliatory firing to quieten the Indian personnel, sources said.
Tensions have recently flared up in Kashmir valley with both countries accusing each other of cross-border firings, but Sunday’s incident took place near the border in Punjab.
“Indian Border Security Forces resorted to unprovoked firing on Pakistani Rangers posts near Pukhlian, Head Marala area, in Sialkot sector,” a senior military official said.
A skirmish was also reported from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where a civilian was injured by firing from Indian military officials in Lanjot area of Kotli city within the premisis of Nakyal sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir held Kashmir.
The exchange of fire continued for a few hours, however, no casualty was eventually reported.
Later in the day, the Pakistani Foreign Office underlined the need to maintain ceasefire at the Line of Control.
In a statement, Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan desired lasting peace in the region.
He said the prime minister of Pakistan had also stressed the need of maintaining peace between the two countries.
He said Indian forces opened unprovoked fire on Pakistani posts, and Pakistani Rangers gave them a befitting reply.
Earlier in a media interview, Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Pakistan was ready for talks with India at any level for resolution of outstanding issues.
He said resumption of dialogue was imperative for peace and any delay would further complicate matters.
The spokesman said Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi had conveyed Pakistan’s concerns to the Indian authorities about staging of demonstrations by Indian extremists in front of the High Commission.
He said it was the responsibility of Indian authorities to provide security to Pakistani consulates and diplomats, adding that Pakistan had acted in a responsible manner and India should pursue the same course for lowering tensions.
The spokesperson regretted the incident of forced stoppage of Dosti bus in Amritsar.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir also blamed the Indian Army DGMO for not informing his Pakistan counterpart about the ceasefire violation at LoC.
In an interview with Indian TV, Bashir asked why the Indian army DGMO did not inform his Pakistani counterpart of the killings during their hotline talk on August 6.
On Saturday as well, the two armies exchanged fire across the Line-of- Control (LoC) in Kashmir, officials said.
The exchange of fire broke out on Friday night and continued until Saturday morning along the LoC in Poonch district, around 185kms southwest of Srinagar.
Indian army officials alleged Pakistani troops first targeted their forward posts, thereby forcing them to retaliate.
In 2003, New Delhi and Islamabad agreed to observe a ceasefire along the international border and LoC in Kashmir. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the ceasefire remains in effect.
In January, skirmishes between armies of the two nuclear-armed neighbours claimed lives of five troopers (two from India and three from Pakistan). Both countries blamed each other for violating the ceasefire.
Indian forces open unprovoked firing in Sialkot sector
