SIALKOT/islamabad/NEW DELHI - Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday killed two senior officials of the Chenab Rangers after inviting them to a flag meeting in Shakargarh Sector of Sialkot Working Boundary.
Chenab Rangers’ senior officials told The Nation that the commander concerned of the Indian BSF invited the Chenab Rangers to a ‘flag meeting’ in the Indian territory at 11am today (Wednesday). As two local officials of Chenab Rangers, Naik Riaz Shakir and Lance Naik Muhammad Safdar, reached the Zero Line in Shakargarh Sector, the BSF opened unprovoked fire, seriously injuring both of them.
The Indian BSF continued firing with small and heavy weapons, preventing the Chenab Rangers from carrying the injured officials.
Later, in the evening, the Chenab Rangers retaliated effectively and brought back the officials who had expired for lack of medical treatment. The Chenab Rangers confirmed their martyrdom Wednesday evening.
They added Pakistan had expressed grave concern over this nasty incident, strongly condemning India for the brutal killing of the two Chenab Rangers by Indian BSF.
On October 31, the BSF also shot dead Tauqeer Ahmed (30), a farmer of Jalala, Shakargarh, after dragging him into their territory from the Zero Line when he was working in his fields along with his other companions.
The Indian BSF returned his dead body to Pakistan after two days. Tauqeer’s parents, Shabir Ahmed and Rubeena Bibi, have appealed to the Pakistan government to take up this brutality with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), besides urging the international community to force India to stop barbarism and killing of innocent civilians through unprovoked firing.
INP adds: In a highly aggressive posture, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has directed the security forces not to hold back and retaliate with “double force”.
His comments came after an army jawan was allegedly injured in exchange of fire along the LoC in Pallanwala Sector of Jammu district. “Our response is “Don’t hesitate; react appropriately without holding yourselves back,” he said.
Though ceasefire violations across the LoC have decreased as compared to those in last year, Parrikar, however, noted the violations had increased across the international border.
When asked what has been his direction to the security forces, Parrikar who was interacting with defence journalists said, “Our response is “Don’t hesitate; react appropriately without holding yourselves back.” He said: “If there are any ceasefire violations, the Indian forces should retaliate with double force and if there is an attack on army posts, the terrorists need to be neutralised.”
He claimed the Indian forces don’t violate the ceasefire agreement, but only respond to violations by Pakistani troops.
On the attack by Bodo militants in Assam, Parrikar dismissed suggestions that the army was late in reacting to the attack and said they had to wait for a request from the local administration.
Parrikar said 73 columns of the army were now deployed in Assam where Bodo militants massacred dozens of tribesmen last week.
Our staff reporter adds from Islamabad: Pakistan Wednesday lodged a strong protest over the unprovoked firing by the Indian troops in the Zafarwal Sector, resulting in the martyrdom of two personnel of Pakistani rangers.
The Indian deputy high commissioner was summoned to the Foreign Affairs Ministry to condemn the action of the Indian Border Security Force troops.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the action of the BSF troops, which is violation of the commitment by both sides to maintain ceasefire along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson said Islamabad had called upon New Delhi to investigate the incident, bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure peace and tranquility along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.
A Punjab Rangers spokesman said Naik Riaz and Lance Naik Safdar got injured in the afternoon when they approached the Indian border to attend a ‘flag meeting’. Later they succumbed to their injuries.
The spokesman said that a commander from the Indian side had requested a meeting and when two representatives from the Rangers contacted them, the Indians opened fire.
Earlier in October and November, skirmishes on the Indo-Pak border increased hostilities between the two countries with both accusing each other of initiating the firing.
Reportedly, more than 20 people have lost their lives on the two sides of the border. An incident of unprovoked firing also took place on November 27 near Charwa Sector on the Line of Control (LoC).
Two days ago, Pakistan Army handed over a 12-year-old Indian Kashmiri girl, who had inadvertently crossed the LoC, to the Indian authorities.