Pakistan violates ceasefire again, fires at Indian positions in Poonch district

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Pakistani troops violated the bilateral ceasefire thrice since Sunday, firing at Indian positions from across the border, a defence spokesman said on Monday. "Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing from across the Line of Control (LoC) in Digwar village of Poonch district at our positions around 10 pm last night (Sunday), the spokesman told IANS. India responded to the Pakistani fire, and the firing continued till 6 am on Monday, according to reports. No casualities or damage on our side has been reported. Pakistan used heavy weapons to fire at the Indian positions. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistani Rangers had fired at a Border Security Force (BSF) post at Kanachak in Jammu district, injuring a BSF trooper. Pakistan also violated the bilateral ceasefire when it fired at Indian positions at Balakot area in Poonch district. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that violations of ceasefire along the LoC by Pakistan were triggered to force India to respond. He also said these violations were intended to either facilitate infiltration or distract attention from internal failures of Pakistan. A bilateral ceasefire signed by India and Pakistan in November 2003 brought in a modicum of normalcy in the lives of thousands of people living along the LoC and the international in divided Kashmir. Pakistan, meanwhile, continued with its aggressive stance and denied any wrongdoing on Sunday. Officials in Islamabad warned of a possible escalation in tensions with India if the latest initiative of PM Nawaz Sharif failed. Military officials said army movements to bring forces to the Indian border may start in the coming week. "Troops stationed on the Afghan border may be re-deployed if the tensions increase," an army spokesman said. Moreover, Pakistan accused India of attacks in Sialkot. An army official said unprovoked firing from the Indian side targeted Rangers outposts in the sector. In New Delhi, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said India wants the Pakistan government to take responsibility for the killing of five of its soldiers on the LoC on August 6. "The responsibility must rest with the government. Our meeting point is the civilian-elected government of Pakistan, not the Pakistan Army or any other agency," Khurshid told Karan Thapar in CNN IBN's programme Devil's-Advocate that was telecast on Sunday. Meanwhile, BSF jawan Ram Niwas Meena, who was injured in firing in the Samba sector on August 5, succumbed to his wounds on Sunday at AIIMS in Delhi.