India on Friday registered a strong protest with Pakistan over more than 2,400 unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international boundary this year that have killed 14 Indians.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the Indian side, in its protest, said the ceasefire violations amounted to a contravention of the ceasefire put in place by the two sides in 2003.
“Till June this year, 14 Indian nationals have been killed and 88 more have been injured in more than 2,432 unprovoked ceasefire violations carried out by the Pakistan forces,” said one of the people cited above.
“We have also conveyed our strong concerns at the continued support being extended by the Pakistan forces for cross-border infiltration of terrorists, including through covering fire,” the person added.
Despite these concerns being shared by the Indian side, including through the channel of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), the Pakistan forces have not ceased such activities, the people said.
India has accused Pakistani forces of providing covering fire to assist terrorists attempting to sneak across the LoC to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. As relations worsened following the Indian government’s decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s special status last August, troops along the LoC have repeatedly exchanged fire.
New Delhi recently asked Islamabad to reduce the strength of its mission in the Indian capital by 50% on the ground that its officials were allegedly engaging in espionage and backing terror activities. India also carried out a similar reduction of its staff at the high commission in Pakistan. Diplomats and their family members returned home via the Wagah-Attari land border on June 30.
Bilateral ties hit another low when Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged on Tuesday that New Delhi was behind a terror attack on the Karachi stock exchange building this week that left four security personnel dead. All four attackers were also killed.
India hit back on Thursday, dismissing Khan’s accusation as “absurd” and saying Pakistan can’t shift the blame for its domestic problems.
