ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Thursday objected to alleged construction of bunkers by Indian troops close to the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir in violation of a 2010 agreement.
The Pakistan Foreign Office said that Indian forces under the cover of unprovoked firing were engaged in constructing bunkers in locations within five hundred metres of the working boundary.
Speaking to media representatives at the weekly briefing in Islamabad, FO spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam said the construction of these bunkers is in violation of the 2010 agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad.
“Pakistan would never permit this construction which is in violation of a bilateral agreement,” Aslam said at the briefing for journalists.
The agreement prohibits any construction, including that of bunkers, within 500 metres of either side of the working boundary.
Speaking about the situation along the Line of Control (LoC), she said: Kashmiri people also live on the other side of the LoC, and Pakistani armed forces always take their safety in consideration when retaliating to Indian firing along the LoC.”
She rejected allegations levelled by acting Afghan Interior Minister Umer Daudzai who had said that Pakistan was supplying weapons to the Afghan Taliban. Daudzai had made these allegations while visiting India.
“Pakistan is not supporting any group in Afghanistan and Pakistani security forces are taking decisive action against all militant groups…there is no question of supporting any group by Pakistan,” Aslam said.
“Pakistan supports only the new political administration in Kabul,” she remarked.
PAK TROOPS FIRE: Pakistani troops on Thursday again resorted to firing on Border Out Posts (BoPs) along the International Border (IB) in the Samba and Jammu districts of the state.
“Pakistan Rangers resorted to small-arms firing at a few BoPs along IB in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors at 0100 hours and 0400 hours today,” a BSF spokesman said here.
The BSF troops guarding the border retaliated to the action by Pakistan, he said, adding that “there was no loss of life or injury to anyone in the firing”.
While Ramgarh is in Samba district, Arnia is in Jammu. This is third ceasefire violation since yesterday when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing on the Narianpur BoP in Ramgarh sector at around 2030 hours.
The ceasefire violation yesterday came 72 hours after the last instance of firing from across the border by the neighbouring country’s troops on the night of Oct. 19 in the Pargwal sector of Jammu district.
Pakistani troops had also violated the ceasefire on October 18 and 17 by resorting to firing on BoPs in the Makwal and Allah mahi Da Kothay (AMK) areas of Jammu district.
Before that, the ceasefire was violated twice on Oct. 17 along the Line of Control (LoC) in Hamirpur sector of Poonch district. Ceasefire violations also took place on Oct. 16 night.
In firing from across the LoC in the Saujian-Kirni-Shahpur belts of Poonch on Oct 15, a seven-year-old boy, Riyaz of Kuiyian Gotirian village, was injured.
One Ramesh Chander of Arnia town in Jammu district, who was admitted to hospital after sustaining injuries during shelling by Pakistan on Oct. 6, succumbed on Tuesday, thereby taking the toll to 10 in the firing by Pakistan from across the IB and LoC in Jammu region since Oct. 1.
Ceasefire violations by the neighbouring country since the beginning of this month have also left over 95 injured, including 13 security personnel.
Around 30,000 people have fled their homes to avoid the shelling, leaving 113 hamlets deserted in the border areas.
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