Pakistan lodged a strong protest with India on Wednesday, over firing by Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) that killed a 70-year-old shepherd in Rawlakot sector.
A statement issued by the foreign ministry said the protest was lodged through diplomatic channels in which India was asked to restrain its security forces from firing on civilians.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Muhammad Din was martyred due to unprovoked Indian firing in Chrikot sector on Tuesday.
“He was grazing goats near LoC. Pakistani troops effectively responded to India firing,” the ISPR added.
The latest casualty brings the total number of civilians killed in Indian firing to 13 since the skirmishes between the two countries erupted on October 5. Indian authorities have also claimed fatalities on their side of the frontier.
Farmer killed on Working Boundary
A Pakistani farmer was killed by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) at Zero Line on Working Boundary near Shakargarh on Wednesday, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The BSF men shot and injured a farmer and dragged him into the Indian territory where he died, a Rangers official said, adding that efforts were on for the recovery of the body.
The Rangers confirming the incident said that around 11:00 am, a few farmers were working in their fields along the border.
Inadvertently, one of the farmers went close to the Zero Line. The BSF troops, without any warning, opened fire on them seriously injuring 30-year-old Tauqeer Shabbir of Jalala Village of Shakargarh. BSF men dragged Shabbir into their territory where he died, officials said.
Pakistan hardens position
As a result of strong rhetoric from Indian government, Pakistan also hardened its position and now made it clear that New Delhi would have to make the first move for resuming the peace process.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Tariq Fatemi said Pakistan would not initiate contact with India for talks.
“If India wants to enter a dialogue with Pakistan, they will have to take the initiative themselves,” he said.
It was because of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that the talks were heading in the right direction. It was India who decided to put a halt, Fatemi said. “Now it is up to them; if they want negotiations, they will have to take the initiative themselves. We have no contact with India,” he added.
Further, Fatemi said cross-border tension between the two neighbours arose because of state elections in India. “It now appears that the Bharatiya Janata Party is using the anti-Pakistan agenda to support its candidacy. This is very unfortunate,” he said.
Addressing the Kashmir issue, Fatemi said, “Kashmir is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy. It always has been and always will be.”
However, he stated that former president Pervez Musharraf had sought a change in the Kashmir policy, which he clarified the government does not recognise.
“Musharraf went to Kashmir without consulting even his corps commanders. Being a democratically elected government, we will choose a policy that complies with the wishes of the Pakistani public. Whatever Musharraf wanted for Kashmir, it’s in the past,” Fatemi said. He said that Pakistan Army has always retaliated Indian firing and never fired the first shots.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2014.
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Tit for tat.