Sartaj Aziz writes protest letter to Indian FM, urges immediate probe into incident and punishment to officials responsible for killings
Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Friday wrote a letter to India’s Minister of External Affairs Shushma Swaraj to protest the killing of two soldiers of the Punjab Rangers in Zafarwal Sector.
On December 31, 2014, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) troops invited the personnel of Punjab Rangers for a flag meeting. However, the unsuspecting soldiers were greeted with a volley of unprovoked fire, causing severe injuries to two soldiers who later died.
In the letter, which has been released to media, the adviser condemned the action of the BSF and lodged a strong protest with the Indian government.
He called for an immediate investigation into the incident and urged bringing the perpetrators to account. The letter underlined: “The ambush of soldiers would undermine mechanisms established by the two countries to ensure peace and tranquillity along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary (WB).”
The adviser’s letter was handed over to the Indian high commissioner by the foreign secretary.
Expressing concern at the way the incident had taken place, the foreign secretary underlined that the incident was not only a contravention to the rules of engagement, but also amounted to breach of trust of Pakistani soldiers in these mechanisms.
The foreign secretary also impressed upon the Indian high commissioner that it was not in Pakistan’s interest to increase tension on the LoC and WB, adding, “Our law enforcement agencies and armed forces were fully engaged in combating terrorism and militancy across the country.”
The Indian insinuations that Pakistan supported infiltration attempts were, therefore, far removed from reality, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry remarked.
The Indian envoy was told that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as the entire nation took serious notice of the condemnable Indian aggression and expressed their shock and anger at the killing of the soldiers in cold blood.
Keeping in view the seriousness of the incident, the foreign secretary also briefed the Heads of the Missions of P-5 countries and the EU in Islamabad and emphasised the importance of maintaining ceasefire on the LoC and WB.
He stressed the urgency of the international community playing its role in counselling India to refrain from actions that threaten peace and stability in the region.
