SIALKOT - A Pakistani woman was martyred and six other persons including three women were seriously injured due to heavy shelling by Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) on Sialkot border villages on Monday.
This Indian aggression, in Charwah, Harpal, Champat and Aknoor sectors of the Sialkot Working Boundary, comes only two days after handing over a strayed Indian BSF soldier back to India by the Chenab Rangers at Sialkot border here. And, Pakistan on Monday lodged a protest over this unprovoked assault.
The senior officials of the Chenab Rangers told the newsmen here that the Indian Border Security Forces (BSF) shelled the border villages for two hours (from 8:15pm to 10:15pm) in Charwah sector here late Sunday night. They said the BSF resumed firing on Monday morning in Khokhar, Harpal, Charwah and Akhnoor villages which continued for several hours.
The Rangers officials said that the Indian border force used light and heavy machine guns, besides firing dozens of mortar shells targeting the civil population. The Indians also targeted Chenab Rangers’ Khalid and Shaheen check posts. The Pakistani border force responded instantly and effectively, forcing the Indian guns to fall silent.
As a result of the Indian firing, a woman named Haneefa Bibi (47), wife of Rehmat Ali, was martyred in village Khokhar-Charwah. She was sleeping in the courtyard of her home when some shells fired by the Indian BSF hit, killing her on the spot. Her house was also badly damaged by the shelling.
Our Staff Reporter reported from Islamabad that deputy high commissioner of India was summoned by Foreign Office to lodge Pakistan’s protest over this unprovoked Indian firing.
The Foreign Office emphasised that such unfortunate incidents were taking place at a time when the leadership on both sides had expressed willingness to improve bilateral relations, which had paved the way for the foreign secretary-level talks to resume dialogue. This was the 54th incident of ceasefire violation by Indian troops since July this year.
As many as five persons: Muhammad Hussain (52), Azra Bibi (44), Safia Bibi (48), Rukhsana Bibi (23) and Muhammad Jameel (38) were injured seriously in Khokhar, Charwah and Harpal bordering villages. The Rescue 1122 officials shifted the injured to Combine Military Hospital (CMH) Sialkot, where the condition of three injured was stated to be critical.
As many as 13 cattle including four cows, three buffalos, two donkeys, a dog and three goats were also killed while dozens of the houses and cattle sheds were badly damaged by the unprovoked Indian fire in the villages including Khokhar, Charwah and Harpal.


Local MNA Ch Armughan Subhani and MPA Ch Tariq Akhtar Subhani also expressed grave concern over this Indian aggression and they strongly condemned it. They said that India was targeting the innocent civilian people in the border villages by violating the international rules and human rights. They added that this unprovoked heavy Indian BSF shelling was harassing the locals, as they were shifting their cattle to the safer places to save them from being the target of shelling of Indian BSF here.
Two days ago, the Chenab Rangers had handed over the arrested Indian BSF soldier Satyasheel Yadav back to BSF as goodwill gesture during a special ceremony held near Bajwat-Sialkot here. On August 6, the Pakistani Chenab Rangers had arrested the Indian BSF personnel Satyasheel Yadav, who had strayed into Pakistani territory after the boat he was sailing developed some problem and he was carried with the flow of Chenab River.