India kills Pakistani farmer, drags his body across border

• Farmer Tauqeer had strolled too close to Zero-Line in Shakargarh Sector inadvertently but Indian BSF shot and injured him and then dragged his body into its own territory
• FO summons Indian HC, protests killing of civilians
• PM’s adviser Fatemi says Pakistan will not contact India for talks
• Says Indo-Pak border tension escalated because of state polls in India

As the government lodged a protest on Wednesday with the Indian government over the killing of a 70-year-old civilian in Rawlakot sector, another Pakistani civilian was killed by Indian Border Security Force firing at the working boundary near Shakargarh.

According to Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) officials, some local farmers were in their fields at Zero Line in Shakargarh Sector when BSF personnel opened fire when one of the farmers went close to the Zero Line inadvertently.

They said that the farmer received serious bullet injuries, and was taken under custody by BSF officials. He later succumbed to his injuries.

The injured has been identified as 30-year-old Tauqeer, son of Shabbir, who was a resident pf Village Jalala, Tehsil Shakargarh, district Narowal.

Efforts are in place to bring the body of the deceased civilian to Pakistan, added the Rangers official.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Indian high commissioner to the Foreign Office and protested against the civilian’s killing.

In its protest, Pakistan called upon India to respect the lives of civilians and refrain from indiscriminate firing, which has caused loss of precious human lives.

The Indian side was reminded that earlier an inadvertent crosser, Kala Khan, was shot dead by the Indian security forces on the LoC in August 2014.

The incident had coincided with, reportedly, a BSF soldier’s inadvertent crossing who was treated well by Pakistani troops and returned safely as a gesture of goodwill.

PAKISTAN WON’T MAKE FIRST MOVE:

In a related development, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi on Wednesday told BBC Urdu in an interview that Pakistan would not initiate contact with India for talks, adding that if India wants to enter a dialogue with Pakistan, they would have to take the initiative themselves.

“It was because of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that the talks were heading in the right direction. It was India who decided to put a halt to them. Now it is up to them; if they want negotiations, they will have to take the initiative themselves. We have no contact with India,” Fatemi said.

Further, Fatemi said cross-border tension between the two neighbours arose because of state elections in India.

“It now appears that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s is using the anti-Pakistan agenda to support its candidacy. This is very unfortunate,” he said.

Addressing the Kashmir issue, Fatemi said, “Kashmir is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. It always has been and always will be.”

However, he stated that former president Pervez Musharraf had sought a change in the Kashmir policy, which he clarified that the government does not recognise.

“Musharraf went to Kashmir without consulting his corps commanders. We will choose a policy that complies with the Pakistani public’s wishes. Whatever Musharraf wanted for Kashmir, it’s in the past,” Fatemi said.