Government asks BSF to give a befitting reply to firing from Pakistan

NEW DELHI: The government today ordered the BSF to give a befitting reply to any unprovoked firing from Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir after a jawan was killed by the border guarding force of the neighbouring country.

This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Director General, Border Security Force DK Pathak when the latter briefed him about the prevailing situation in Jammu frontier where Pakistani Rangers today fired on a BSF patrol party along the international border killing a jawan and injuring another.

"The Home Minister asked the DG, BSF to provide a suitable and appropriate reply for any such unprovoked firing," an official statement said.

The DG BSF gave a detailed presentation to the Home Minister about the ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pathak informed that one BSF jawan was killed in the unprovoked and premeditated Pakistani firing and the BSF retaliated effectively, in which three Pakistani Rangers were reportedly killed and some others injured.

He informed that firing stopped in the evening at the request of Pakistani Rangers for ceasefire by showing the white flag. He said the firing has stopped since then and the situation is totally under control.

Pakistani troops had on Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.

On December 25, Pakistani Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.

On December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.

Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place this year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the Indo-Pak border witnessing the worst such escalation during August-October period which left 13 people dead and thousands displaced.

After the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Pakistan has been taught a "befitting lesson" with the Army "shutting their mouth".

"Pakistan has got a befitting lesson. They will not dare to repeat it again. Our jawans have shut their mouth," he had said.