A file photo shows Indian Border Security Force in Jammu. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday formally denied an Indian claim that its troops killed two Indian soldiers in a cross-border attack that has raised tensions between the two nuclear tipped south asian countries, a military official said.
It was the first official reaction from Pakistan after India summoned Islamabad’s envoy to New Delhi to protest at the killing of the two soldiers, one of whom was reportedly beheaded.
The Indian army says the soldiers died after a firefight erupted in disputed Kashmir around noon Tuesday as a patrol moving in fog discovered Pakistani troops about 500 metres inside Indian territory.
But the Pakistani senior official said Pakistan's director general of military operations had spoken to his Indian counterpart by telephone to deny that his troops were responsible.
"Pakistan rejected Indian army allegations of cross LoC (Line of Control) firing by Pakistani troops and killing any Indian soldier," the official said in a statement.
"Indian authorities were informed that Pakistan has carried out ground verification and checked and found nothing of this sort happened as being alleged by India," the official added.
He accused India of "propaganda" to divert attention from a raid on Sunday, when Islamabad said one Pakistani soldier was killed by Indian troops who raided a Pakistani post.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar too summarily rejected India's claim.
The Foreign Minister while talking to Indian news channel said that the Pakistan government is appalled at the suggestion that Pakistan troops were involved in the incident and stressed that her country respects the ceasefire that is in force since 2003.
"The government has already given its response. We are appalled at some of the statements coming from India," she told the news channel, adding that the matter has left her a bit saddened.
"We want to respect the ceasefire of 2003; this is absolutely unacceptable for such allegations to be made. We have investigated the matter and we are sure that such an incident did not take place," she added.
The Foreign Minister said, "We need to grow up and think. It is not Pakistan's policy to do so (kill Indian soldiers on LoC) and that did not happen."
She further said that Pakistan is open to any third party investigation into the matter.
She said, "We are so sure of this that we can go and ask a third party to do an investigation. UN observers can come in and probe the entire matter."
COMMENTS (28)
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Do you people realize how funny it is to read alternating Pakistani and Indian comments, threatening and competing with each other over who wins the argument? Seriously, you people need to get a life.
It is common knowledge (so no point in denying it) that India did not approve of the partition and even though today they have come to terms with it, they still don't approve of it. Indians will always be sore about this in the back of their minds. Pakistan on the other hand, was always aware of this and therefore never really trusting towards the Indians, despite all the peace talks and cease fires.
Who has the stronger force, who is braver, who is unbeatable...to me it looks the same as when an adult watches two children fighting over a toy and trying to be superior...immature and childish, not to mention, utterly stupid. Both countries are nuclear powers, and nukes all work the same way.. so doesn't really matter. Both the nations have a hundred problems plaguing them. Instead we continue tossing accusations at each other, all the while our countries are rotting.
I don't know what the truth is regarding this LoC incident and frankly I don't give a crap! Why? Because the real truth will never come out and we will only end up fueling each other's dislike for one another. Both nations need to reevaluate their policies towards each other and adopt a more mature attitude.
And for my Pakistani brothers, do you HONESTLY think that just because India lost at cricket this time that they'd be mad enough to execute military operations against their enemy? Pakistan has lost a lot of times in the recent past, and how would you like if the Indian accusation that Pakistan was involved in the Mumbai attacks was because we were angry about losing at cricket? Please don't open your mouth on public forums if you don't have your brain connected to it.
You represent your country when you speak in public. And all of you, Indians and Pakistanis are doing a remarkably shameful job at it. No wonder the West pushes us around like idiots.
@ endian :- Yeah ur army has excellent record of unprovoked cross border shootings and murders not only along the Pakistan-ind border but also along the BD-ind border. Keep ur trigger happy hilly billies in control. Otherwise you know what happens to murderers; they get repaid in the same kind by getting riddled with bullets. Reverse karma. Our army is not afraid to lay down their lives for their Pakistan, while your army is afraid to patrol the jungles of Chattisgarrh and countless other Maoist infested states of your dysfunctional dystopia also known as india. Dont let your ego get over-inflated. You dont want to wake up the other day with the rather unsavoury news of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, and several other states being no longer in association with india
@Salman: Wow , you seem to have researched ancient Indian texts a lot!!! Then maybe you would know that "artha" means "finance" and "shastra" means management" So the arthashastra is not a millitary guide.
@O2: Funnny, you , living in Pakistan have seen the video on "Indian media". However I , living in India have yet to see any such video.
The dead are no longer concerned with the politics of this world. It's shameful to mutilate the bodies of dead soldiers. What utter hypocrisy. Muslims were protesting so much when the US soldiers were found urinating on dead Taliban. Yet Pakistan does the same mutilating and dishonoring bodies of dead soldiers. The mother of the dead soldier has asked for his head to be returned so they can properly perform the last rites. Pakistan should return the head of the deceased Lance Naik Hemraj so his family can have some comfort of knowing they did last rites for the whole body. Or forever hold your peace when the same disrespect is shown to your dead. Have you no humanity left in you, desecrating even the dead?
@pakistani Army: Before commenting anything just look back to the history if you are aware off not once not twice but you are spanked by Indians and sepcially Indian soilders do have a flawless and a world known record.
For all others cricket is concerned its a game if such is your attitude and such hatred for us then dont come and play with us. For game of cricket too you are not clean thats too very clear from recent history of your team.
Just think and then comment and BEWARE we are best friends and the worst enimies.
@Troll Terminator: Of all comments like yours I choose to target yours my friend, nothing personal. I worked for UN peace keeping force. And since you have no field expertise on this let me enlighten you this. In my tenure we have come across enemies whose opium high soldiers did exactly what is reported. Walk in the enemy lines, behead people and walk back as if carrying a trophy. Maybe you did not carefully read the news. The raid took place under dense fog and unless you are equipped with night vision and motion sensors sometimes you want even know a person is standing 5 feet away from you. While I agree that it is not a luxury to behead someone amongst cross firing, but I assure you I have seen worse. This audience is not string enough to know it.
@Xyz: Good point XYZ....
I wonder if you have any use for views like mine. It is all right supporting peace and progress and development. But we need to have our feet on terra firma. There is no point in flying in the air or indulging in hyperbole. War does not solve any problem. At the end of a war, the former belligerents still have to sit down and talk about first ceasefire and then a settlement. There is everything to be said for sitting down to talk without fighting a war. That, however, presupposes that the two sides are prepared to talk sensibly and not just go on trading charges and countercharges and denials from both sides. It is important that the facts of the situation are ascertained and established. That only can lead to a sensible outcome. It is sad to have to say that in Pakistan there is no constituency for good relations with India. There are countless others who hold aloft the parcham of Islam and propagate annihilation of all religions and civilizations that are non-Islamic. That may be the conviction of some people in Pakistan. But surely they do not expect that the rest of the world shall go along with that view. And if some were rash enough to set out on a war of world conquest, then the rest of the world shall make short work of them. Even all the 58 Islamic countries of the world do not add up to much in terms of GDP or military power. When and if the battle is joined, the so-called thekedars of Islamic civilization shall stand no chance against the rest of the world, which is ten times stronger than the 58. And nobody ever pretended that 58 Islamic countries can come together for anything. V. C. Bhutani, Delhi, India, 10 Jan 2013, 0710 IST
@Shakeel: hahaha :D a lose in cricket?/ i know you people have less brain cells but don't be so public. We won the world cup..was ranked number 1 in tests..won the T20 too ..!! you better ask your players to get some net practice..!
The Indian government in a desperate attempt to focus the media spotlight away from their corruption and incompetence violated the LOC ceasefire hoping fear and nationalism would prevail. Now the pandora's box is open and series of 'revenge' strikes from both sides are likely.
funny is Indians are dead silent on the incident happened on Sunday.. :(
This is all India's game to get world sympathy and local distraction from Dehli Rape News. An age old tactic always proved successfull there.
WE SPECIALIZE IN ART OF DENIAL...........
@Xyz
are you sure things are exactly as u were told by your media....
BTW India media is doing a full blown propaganda again.. without talking about Indian soldiers attacking Pakistani post and killing Pakistani soldier.
Typical Indian tactics right from Arthashastra, do dirty things first and when get exposed, do false flag event and adopt sympathy act...
According to Indian news sources, they were from PAK Baloch regiment. Here is the problem but ET keeps restricting my comment on this matter.
This is not the first time soldiers were beheaded and there is only One militant division that is experienced in this beheading business and I tend to believe the India report that they were PAK soldiers. If that were the case, then PAK has a serious internal problem.
Man! you should see this Clip. Indian media is going crazy over this. I agree with Doop: Such anger after loosing an ODI series was bound to happen. I don't know how they justify nominating Dhoni as man of the match in last match.
http://bit.ly/ZGvmgX
These are shameless lies by the Indians and nothing good will come out of these lies.
@sunil vohra: so you are saying its real easy to infiltrate the LoC 600m in & take your soldier while others sit & watch ??? there are more than 2 personnel on the border posts at all times! let UN probe this incident not your stupid media which is more of awful theatrical show. @Shakeel: not to forget the recent riot in the state of Gujarat where 5 people were killed, Hindus attacked Muslims & their media never really reported about this incident as much as they are doing so in this propaganda drama.
HAs Pak ever admitted its complicity in anything at all. Starting from pathan infiltrators into Kashmir in 1948 till kasab. They, according to Pakistanis, are not pakistanis at all to start with and end up with being non state actors. Applies to war personnel in Kargil war as well.
To me India is upset it got spanked in cricket and has decided to attack Pakistani solders and is now trying to cover its tracks by creating Propaganda.
Come on, it was just a cricket series, why you are taking this into new level?
does it not seem a bit shady that under fire, pakistani troops still had time to barbarically mutilate and decapitate a body, then go 600m back to the border as the indian reports suggest. shady and shameless lies, as per usual
Pak is always in a denial mode !!!
Pakistan is forever in a state of denial. They denied the existence of Osama within their country, denied having a role in Kargil intrusion,denied the existence of Dawood Ibrahim , denied Pakistanis were involved in Mumbai and now it is not surprising that they deny this recent act. Its time India ups its ante, shakes itself off the mirage of peace diplomacy. India should launch a multipronged peacfull initiative to call Pakistan s bluff. As a beginning no more diplomatic and other visits from Pakistanis should be allowed. India should stop issuing any form of visa to Pakistanis. No more cricket matches should be allowed. Indian should never engage with them at any level in any world conferences and meets and shun their presence. Any military violation should be met with immediate, silent and punitive retaliation. India should take all its complaints on a high profile to all international forums and let the world know of its duplicity and double speak.
The Indian media is on a full throttle propaganda, they are even showing some fake video showing supposed militant holding a supposed Pakistani flag on the IOK side (wonder how they were able to record the video so close to the militants lol), must see their ridiculous media reporting. Few Indians want India to destroy Pakistan & they think they can easily do it lol A superpower is still struggling to overcome Afghanistan since 2001 & India thinks they can destroy us? Keep you wishful thinking to yourself, we are with Pakistan Army & Kashmiris.
pakistans provocation may bring it disastorous consequences and leave it a bad taste.India is upset and angry the way pakistan is keeping on violating and violated 2001 ceasefire agreement and geneva convention.India's mood of angryness can be seen from its summoning of pakistans high commisioner to India salman bashir to south block whereas pakistan summoned yesterday India's deputy high commisioner to pakistan.pakistan is playing with fire..this is a small incident for India though but a serious violation and grave provocation that is seen after kargil war.India is not going to tolerate since public pressure is growing on Indian govt.The sooner pakistan will understand this is better for them otherwise they may face severe consequencies which at this situation like prevailing insde pakistan it cannot survive India's retaliation.either fall in line or perish which as per many international think tank is a must for pakistan in case any future war with India.