Barely two days after Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to “progressively pursue” peace with India, the Pakistan Army flexed its muscles by violating ceasefire on loC. The sharp shooters of the Pakistani Army killed an Indian junior commissioned officer (JCO) in Mandi tehsil of frontier Poonch district in Jammu division on Friday.
The historical enmity between Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Army is well known.
According to official sources, “The peace prevailing in the Mandi sector of Poonch was shattered on Friday afternoon as the Pakistan Army targeted Indian posts around 1.00 pm.”
Pakistan Army lobbed rocket propelled grenades and under-barrel grenade launchers to target the Indian posts. The Indian Army gave calibrated response, official sources told The Pioneer.
Officiating spokesman of the Ministry of Defence in Jammu SN Acharya said, “Pakistan Army violated ceasefire agreement by opening ‘unprovoked’ firing around 1.00 pm in Mandi sector of Poonch.”
He said one of the JCO was critically wounded in the exchange of fire and later succumbed to his injuries. The JCO was identified as Naib Subedar Bacchan Singh of 3 Garhwal Rifles.
Defence PRO said, “The entire area has been cordoned off by the Army and searches are being carried out to rule out the possibility of any intrusion by the armed militants.”
It is unusual for Pakistan Army to open fire on the Indian posts during the day time.
This is the fourth incident of ceasefire violation along the loC in last 10 days in Jammu & Kashmir. Senior Army officers in J&K have already sounded an alarm along the loC in view of the heightened militant activities across the border.
On May 24, Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire agreement in Nowgam sector of Baramulla in Kashmir injuring a Brigadier rank officer and two other jawans.
Three days later, the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire in Poonch sector.