New Delhi: India on Saturday summoned Pakistan’s deputy high Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and conveyed New Delhi’s “grave concerns” and “strong protest” over cross-border firing along the international frontier as well as the de facto line of control border in Kashmir.
“The government registered its strong protest at the fatal casualty of an Indian soldier in unprovoked firing by Pakistan forces on 9 March 2017,” a statement from India’s foreign ministry said.
Shah was told of India’s expectation that “Pakistan will not take any step detrimental to peace along the LoC (line of control) and IB ( international border) and to the security of India”, the statement said.
According to the terms of a 2003 ceasefire agreement, the two countries had stopped firing and shelling across the common frontiers.
But in the past few years, instances of shelling and firing across the borders have seen a major spike with soldiers from both sides getting killed.
India says Pakistan resorts to firing to provide cover for terrorists infiltrating into India.
Pakistan on its part denies this and says that it responds to “unprovoked firing” from the Indian side. India is also of the view that Pakistan employs this tactic to focus international attention on its dispute over Kashmir with India.
A tense border has often raised concerns internationally given that India and Pakistan have fought three of their four wars over Kashmir since 1947.
