A stream of water from a police water cannon covers Indian Youth Congress activists as they stage a violent protest near the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. PHOTO: AFP
As tension flares up between Pakistan and India over an alleged ceasefire violation, Islamabad on Wednesday protested an attempt by a mob to ‘attack’ its diplomatic mission in the Indian capital.
Hundreds of members of India’s ruling Congress party marched on to Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi to protest against Pakistan Army’s alleged cross-Line of Control (LoC) attack on Indian troops in the Poonch sector in the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir which left five soldiers dead.
The Foreign Office summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baglay to lodge a protest. Baglay was told that the security of the Pakistan High Commission and Pakistan House was the responsibility of New Delhi. The Foreign Office also asked for security of Pakistani diplomatic staff in India.
Baglay was given a ‘note verbale’ on the incident.
According to Indian media, supporters of the Congress Youth Wing climbed police barricades and tried to enter the Pakistani diplomatic mission. The protesters turned violent when police thwarted their march. Police used water cannons to disperse them. Around 175 were detained, but later let off. Similar protests were also organised in other major urban centres of India, including Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Pakistani, Indian DGMOs speak by hotline
Pakistani and Indian military commanders also spoke by hotline on Wednesday to discuss the alleged ambush.
“Pakistan and Indian director general military operations (DGMOs) spoke to each other by hotline this morning,” Pakistani military’s chief spokesperson Major General Asim Bajwa said in a statement. He added that the Pakistani DGMO strongly and categorically rejected Indian allegations of the LoC violation by Pakistani troops.
Maj Gen Bajwa said the military lodged a strong protest over the violation of LoC by India in Pandu sector, in which Indian fire seriously injured two Pakistani soldiers. “After every Indian violation of the LoC, Indians fabricate something and rather put an allegation of violation on Pakistan to ease pressure,” he added.
The Pakistani commander reiterated his side’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement of 2003 between the nuclear armed neighbours.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that Pakistan wanted peace and security in the region but the Indian media’s blame game was spoiling the atmosphere for normalising relations.
In a statement‚ he said the hue and cry over the latest incident in India was not understandable. He questioned how it was possible for Pakistani troops to go deep into Indian territory and kill Indian troops despite heavy concentration of Indian troops along the LoC.
Indian parliament questions Antony’s remarks
The upper and lower houses of Indian parliament were not allowed to function for more than 45 minutes each after being rocked by repeated interruptions relating to the inconsistencies in Defence Minister AK Antony’s statement on the LoC clash.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party filed a privilege motion against Antony and demanded that talks with Pakistan be called off.
“I had issued a breach of privilege notice against the defence minister for misleading the house and altering the statement of Indian Army. According to this, he was not behaving like the defence minister of India, but rather as that of Pakistan and I brought this up in parliament. The statement was changed after the approval of the prime minster,” said senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha.
Sinha said there was a massive inconsistency in the account of Antony and the defence ministry. While Antony’s said persons ‘dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms’ were involved in the ambush, the defence ministry said “a patrol of Indian Army comprising of one non-commissioned officer and five other ranks was ambushed by a Pak Border Action Team close to the LoC in Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir early morning”.
In his defence in the upper house, Antony said: “When as defence minister I make a statement in parliament, I have to clarify on whatever information I have. Today, the Indian army chief has gone to the area, let him come back. If there are some other details, I will convey to you.”
On the other hand, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid sought to downplay the implications of the incident. “We don’t want to create a situation that is detrimental and destructive for India’s security and peace,” he said.
But he added it was ‘too early’ to say now whether the planned meeting between Premiers Nawaz Sharif and Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in September would still take place.
He insisted Islamabad must take responsibility for the attack. “Pakistan is accountable whatever happens, the distinction between state and non-state actors is not a distinction that we accept,” he told India’s NDTV network.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2013.
COMMENTS (30)
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@S.Ali: Thats coz they didn't blow themselves up infront of Pakistan embassy.
@Syed Rizvi: Looking at the protests and violence in Pakistan against load shedding, this looks like peace conference.
Kudrio and Mondio @ ET, happy eid greetings, health and happiness. Thank you all for keeping KUFFARS like me updated. Khuda bless you and yours.
@Syed Rizvi: Rizvi Sahib, yes sure Sir, Indians are "EXTREMISTS" hope they do not start asking ID cards of Shias, as being PRACTICED by peaceful Pakistani good MUSLIMS in Baluchistan. Eid greetings sir..
@Rabbani:
because we do a great job of protecting our women right?
India should stay on guard both on border and within, analyze the weaknesses in its security infrastructure and plug the loopholes. No point blaming Pakistan. . In the mean time, we should patiently wait for Pakistani to turn peace-loving and progressive. Till then no relationship what-so-ever. . If India panics (in the form of talks, trade, cultural exchanges, people-to-people contact or strops)then Indians have to pay with blood. .
Funny how unarmed crowd protesting outside Pakistani embassy on "India road" is considered termed as an attack by Pak FO.
& the armed attack on Sarabjit in which he was hacked to death with an Axe was termed as scuffle the same FO.
There really is one divine logic Pakistanis are blessed with.
The 5 Indian Army jawans were killed inside 5 miles of Indian territory . Why to blame Pakistan. I think India after all that desperation, that it was thinking for last 10 years, that Afghanistan situation will destroy Pakistan,India played its dirty games in Balochistan and in afghanistan,,, and now having realized that Pakistan has emerged rather strong and fairly successful through this situation and is heading toward a control on Afghanistan situation, INDIA is out to play the desperate but dangerous game of coming out open to have armed confrontation with Pakistan. India believes Pakistan is military hardware wise wekest at this stage. ONLY TIME WILL TELL !!!!!!!!!
So "Youth Congress" activist marches on Pakistani High Commission while Salman Khurshid, Senior Congress politician, downplays the incident? Ummm... Good Cop, Bad Cop.
a strong reason to believe why friendship with India is not possible. We must decide now and cut off all sorts of contacts with India with immediate effect.
A problematic eastern neighbor is like a cancer which must be quarantined - and fast!
If this happened in Pakistan, this post would have hundreds of replies with thousands of likes..........ET is more popular in Indians than Pakistanis.
we need at least 50 pakistani.
I wish Pakistani law enforcing tackle anti India activities in Pakistan as shown in the photo accompanied by the story.
Political drama as usual. In which deep caves were these youth activists hiding, when the country needed them to take on Sand Mafia, Land Mafia or real estate mafia? Anybody can go to Pakistani embassy and throw some rotten eggs & tomatoes to mark anguish, but it takes spine to take on the real monsters eating away the core of this country.
Huh! And they call us the "angry extremists " !
If Pakistan protests, let it close its embassy.Who cares ?
The Afghan Taliban type militants are trying to start a war between Pakistan and India, these militants have instructions from Kabul to try and use the tensions between Pakistan and India to their advantage, it will also lessen pressure on Taliban groups as Pakistan focuses on the LOC, India should not fall for this trickery, but unfortunately the Indians are very silly when it comes to a deeper analysis, and the public is fooled by politicians who want to gain political mileage.
Ah, so 'peaceful' Indian mob did attack the High Commission. Already devoid of protecting their women, India cannot even protect diplomatic missions now.
Crying Babies
It was a protest not a mob attack. No property of the consulate was damaged , no one was injured.
The extremist BJP will now force Mr.Antony to change his statement.Good response by Ch.Nisar Ali and Thanks God he didn't followed Rehman Malik's path of accepting every Indian blame.
Sadly, in the subcontinent be it India or Pakistan, people are emotional and excitable.
Two things to be noted:
1) These 'violent' protesters did not have any weapons. 2) The police intervened and did not let them succeed in their violent intent.
Wouldn't it have been nice if the same thing had happened in Joseph Colony also?
Lets have the barrage of Indian trolls justifying this despicable attack. It is the Indian Govt's responsibility to ensure even attempts of such nature are stopped before they even begin.
This is nasty.
The childish behavior being exhibited by Indian politicians reminds one of a pack of, out-of-control, schoolboys. Pakistan may have inadvertently started the mayhem, but India appears to be exacerbating it. One wonders if these two antagonists will ever get round to solving their mutual problems. After all, they have been fueling the fires of dissension for 65 years now. The Indian/Pakistan fracas is somewhat amusing to the rest of the world, but people getting killed is not. It is time for the Sub-Continent to grow up.
Indian Army martyred an innocent Pakistani soldier on duty at LOC last week and kidnapped 5 poor villagers from Azad Kashmir a couple of days ago. They should stop this mango drama and act maturely. This sums it up!
“After every Indian violation of the LoC, Indians fabricate something and rather put an allegation of violation on Pakistan to ease pressure,” Inter-Services Public Relations Pak Army couldn't put it any better way - thumbs up!
Elections in India are on the horizon. The party which spreads more hate against Pakistan will grab few more seats. On the other hand peace loving Pakistanis have given mandate to that party which is for friendship, trade and peace with India.
General elections are coming in India_Thank you hawks!
Extremist Nation. & they call Pakistan to act mature.
this is called Propaganda........protesting outside in streets is not attack............