This was the third incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the last three days. (file photo)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday gave a stern warning to Pakistan over repeatedly targeting civilians on the Indian side of the Line of Control.
“Pakistan will have to stop ceasefire violations… Whether it does it today or tomorrow, ” he said addressing a gathering of border migrants here. Having migrated from their native places along the Line of Control, they have been staying in camps set up by civil administration here for nearly four months now.
Pakistan used to frequently commit ceasefire violation along the international border without any provocation in 2014 as well, he said. “I then told the Director General of Border Security Force that first bullet shall not be fired from our side as Pakistan is our neighbour. However, if any bullet comes from across the border then there shall be no counting of the bullets fired from Indian side, “he added.
“Since then situation there has improved a lot. It continues to be good and it will improve further in future, ” Home Minister said.
Rajnath Singh was accompanied by Minister of State in the PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Union Home Secretary besides various senior civil and police officers of the state. Immediately after his arrival here, he held a meeting with senior civil, police and security officials to take stock of the situation along the borders. He also met border migrants and listened to their problems.
Barely hours before Rajnath Singh’s visit to Nowshera on Monday, Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling along the Line of Control in Shahpur area of Poonch district.
Apart from shelling, Indian troops also came under fire from automatic weapons and small arms, sources said, adding that firing began from across the border around 10.30 am. The Indian Army is retaliating and there has been no loss of life or property on the Indian side so far.
Rajnath Singh, who is on four-day visit of Jammu-Kashmir, reached Nowshera along the LoC in Rajouri district in the afternoon.
This was the third incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the last three days. On Saturday, a civilian was injured in mortar shelling from across the border in Mendhar Sector. For the past couple of months, Pakistani troops have been regularly targeting forward Indian positions and civilian population on this side of the LoC.
On September 7, two porters were injured as Pakistani troops violated ceasefire in Poonch sector. The tension along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts has already led to suspension of cross-border travel and trade between people of Jammu-Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in the past two months.
Since May 1 this year, nearly a dozen people have been killed and many others were injured in unprovoked and indiscriminate mortar shelling and small arms fire at frequent intervals on the Indian side of the LoC by Pakistani troops in Rajouri and Poonch districts. The frequent skirmishes along the LoC, which are being attributed to Pakistan’s increasing desperation to push terrorists into India this summer, have already forced 3,000 people including women and children migrate from their houses near the border to safer places. Of them, over 1,000 are staying at camps set up by the district administration, while others are staying with their relatives.
