International   

Pakistan denies charge

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army on Tuesday denied its troops had crossed the Line of Control into India causing a 16-hour exchange of fire that led to the death of one soldier. Instead, accused the Indian troops of incursion into the Pakistani side and resorting to “unprovoked” firing.

Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas also denied reports that four Pakistani soldiers were killed in Monday’s incident, the most serious on the LoC since the ceasefire came into effect in 2003.

“There were no casualties on our side,” he told The Hindu. “This claim by the Indian side was based on what evidence? Where are the bodies, where are their weapons?”

The spokesman said the incident started when Pakistani soldiers objected to Indian troops building a forward post on the Pakistani side of the LoC.

When Pakistani troopers objected, “the Indian troops opened indiscriminate and unprovoked fire.”

“Our side responded,” the spokesman said. The firing continued intermittently through the night, and into the daylight hours of Tuesday.

“After the fire fight, the Indian soldiers were forced to flee from the area,” he said. Major General Abbas said the Pakistani side also picked up Indian weapons that the Indian soldiers had left behind to prove that the fighting took place on the Pakistan side of the LoC.

The spokesman said that the deteriorating situation on the Line of Control had to be addressed “jointly,” perhaps at a meeting of the two Directors-General of Military Operations.

“We will need to take a re-look at this, and see how we can prevent these incidents,” he said, adding that most of the incidents were caused by “unprovoked firing” from the Indian side.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Pakistan denies charge
SAARC focus on food, terrorism
“Green” becomes colour of the Games
Anwar cites medical report to claim innocence
Carbon-intensive activity opposed
St. Tropez locals declare war on “helicopter hell”
Paris Mayor eyes use-and-leave car commute
Sikh girl wins right to wear bangle to school

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu