India claims Pakistani Rangers were killed by ‘defensive fire’

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj claims Indian border guards had not sought any platoon-level meeting under a white flag

A day after Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz wrote a letter to India’s External Affairs Minister Shushma Swaraj asking Indian authorities to probe the killing of two Pakistan Rangers personnel by Indian border security guards, Swaraj responded to Aziz’s letter on Saturday saying the Indian troops had opened ‘defensive fire’ when they came under fire allegedly from the Pakistani side.

“We cannot accept any of the contentions made in your letter. A BSF patrol had come under fire from a Pakistani border post in the area, which had resulted in the death of one Indian jawan, and serious injuries to another, and that had led to Indian troops opening ‘defensive fire’,” Swaraj claimed in the letter.

Pakistani authorities claim that two Rangers personnel had been shot in the Zafarwal sector on the Pakistani side, when they had been invited for a flag meeting to discuss ceasefire violations and Indian firing had prevented medical attention from reaching them, calling it a violation of international norms and a “cold blooded killing”.

In her response, Swaraj said “that at no stage did the Indian side seek any platoon level contact under a white flag as was suggested in the communication.” Swaraj also said that despite Indian messages “consistently” calling for firing to stop, Pakistani commanders continued to fire on Indian border posts till the evening of December 31.

Swaraj said India had “always adhered by the mechanisms that have been evolved to ensure peace and tranquillity on the International Border and Line of Control and would continue to do so”.