Hours after the Border Security Force (BSF) shot down two Pakistani drones trying to intrude into Indian territory along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed solidarity with the people of India combating the resurgent wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, “We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together.”
Imran Khan took to Twitter to express his support for the Indian people fighting the new bout of COVID-19 outbreak. “I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together,” he tweeted.
I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood & the world. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 24, 2021
Khan’s tweet expressing solidarity with the Indian people came only hours after Pakistani drones made a failed attempt to infiltrate the Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
BSF troops along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir stop intrusion bid by Pakistani drones
The drones had tried to enter into the Indian region under cover of darkness in the wee hours of Saturday, but vigilant BSF guards opened fire and thwarted their intrusion attempt.
“Around 4.30 am on Saturday, two Pakistani drones entered our territory in Arnia sector but the alert BSF immediately opened fire. The drones, probably spy drones, flew back into Pakistani territory,” a senior BSF officer said.
Even though a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan is in place, it did not stop the Pakistani rangers from indulging in nefarious activities along the border.
“Today alert BSF troops in Arnia Sector foiled drones intrusion bid by Pakistan on International Border. During the early morning hours today, two drones/UAVs were observed entering from Pakistan side and Immediately fired upon by vigilant BSF troops which compelled them to retreat to Pakistan territory,” said an official statement issued by BSF DIG SPS Sandhu.
“Saturday’s drone intrusion bid foiled by BSF Jammu troops is indicative of alertness and swift retaliatory action by the BSF on a drone intrusion from Pak side. The BSF intelligence branch was receiving inputs about the possible use of drones by Pakistan for ferrying arms and ammunition from Pakistan into the Indian side,” said the statement.
Less than 12 hours after the failed attempt at the intrusion, the Pakistani Prime Minister unabashedly posted a tweet expressing solidarity for the people of India suffering from COVID-19 outbreak.
While Khan exhorted India to join hands with Pakistan in the fight against the pandemic, Pakistani rangers have been routinely violating the International Boundary agreement through drone intrusions, trying to drop arms and ammunition in the Indian territory.
It is worth noting that Pakistan’s attempt to infiltrate drones inside India came on the back of a mutually brokered truce deal on February 25 this year. Since then, there has been no firing and shelling by the Pakistani forces along the 744-km-long Line of Control (LoC) and 200-km-long International Border (IB).
However, Pakistan has been sending drones along the border with India, perhaps in an attempt to smuggle arms and help the terrorists back here. In June 2020, BSF had foiled another wicked attempt by Pakistan when it downed its hexacopter at BOP Pansar in the Hiranagar sector of the Kathua district. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from it.