New Delhi: The recently-arrived-at bonhomie between Indian and Pakistani border guarding forces was unsettled on Sunday as the Pakistan Army turned aggressor, targeting BSF posts along the Line of Control hours after New Delhi played perfect host to the Pakistan Rangers on Saturday.
One BSF officer of the level of assistant sub-inspector was killed as the Pakistan Army resorted to mortar shelling in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir Sunday night.
While the Pakistan Rangers operate under the authority of the federal government, they are commanded directly by Army officers.
“The shelling was carried out by the regular Pakistan Army, which fired two 82-mm mortar bombs which exploded near a forward Indian post in which one ASI of the BSF, Sohan Lal, succumbed to injuries,” a BSF official said.
Troops guarding the Pakistani border earlier on Sunday opened fire in Samba district along the International Border (IB).
Clearly the peace mantra of “pick up the phone before you pick up the gun” as a confidence-building measure between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers became unpalatable for the Pakistan Army, which has been resorting to firing across the LoC for the last many days, a top government official said.
The next five months are crucial for New Delhi, which will wait and watch if the neighbouring country is able to stick to its promise to bring down ceasefire violations substantially and rein in anti-India forces operating on the border.
However, if Pakistan steps up violence, the BSF will retaliate very heavily, a top MHA official said, adding that “our guns are very much ready to retaliate to any provocation”.
“We have not put our guns in the locker. In fact this time if the Pakistani forces become aggressive, we will retaliate even more strongly,” a top security official said adding that BSF is prepared to take up the challenge of defending borders.
