In the latest example of doublespeak, Pakistan on Monday said it was looking forward to a visit by Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi, even as its armed forces continued to violate the ceasefire on the line of Control.
In the latest incident, the first after general elections got over in India, an Army jawan was killed and two soldiers injured in Akhnoor near Jammu on Sunday, even as the involvement of Pakistani commandos and terrorists was not being ruled out.
Sepoy Bhikale Balu was killed when his patrol party, that was in the area to escort a soldier injured in a landmine blast, was targeted from across the line of Control (loC).
Official sources said landmines had been recently planted in the area by a group of armed personnel with the purpose of targeting Indian patrols in the area. later, during the search and combing operations Indian troops recovered Pakistan-made landmines and other equipment.
According to Defence PRO, Jammu, an Army patrol was targeted by mines and small arms fire by a group of unidentified armed personnel in Akhnoor sector.
The Indian troops returned the fire, forcing the armed personnel to retreat into the territory towards one of the forward posts of the Pakistan Army. In the gun battle, two soldiers suffered splinter injuries and gunshot wounds, while Balu was martyred, he said.
Following repeated incidents of ceasefire violations and desperate infiltration bids, the Indian Army is already on a high alert to prevent any misadventure from across the loC.
Intelligence reports claimed that Pakistan Army has also activated its Border Action Teams (BAT) in the area to target Indian soldiers. The frontier districts of Rajouri and Poonch have been frequently witnessing incidents of ceasefire violations and foiled infiltration bids. BAT is a mix of Pakistan Army commandoes and terrorists and one such team carried out the beheading of an Indian soldier in Poonch last year.
While its Army and the ISI are repeatedly violating the ceasefire, with 26 such transgressions already having taken place in the first five months of this year, Pakistan extended an invitation to Modi on Monday. “We are ready to host Narendra Modi when he decides to visit Pakistan. Our Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already extended an invitation to him,” Pakistan High Commissioner to Indian Abdul Basit said in an interaction with members of the Press Club of India here.
looking forward to Modi’s visit, Basit said Islamabad also hoped that the two countries would “resolve differences and disputes” through an early dialogue.Basit said people in both the countries long for peace and prosperity and it was, therefore, mutually incumbent to spare no effort towards resolving all the “bilateral differences and disputes.” He said the Pakistani leadership was committed to a result-oriented dialogue process and hoped that comprehensive bilateral engagement would resume sooner than later.
“Now the two democratic countries have to decide whether we will bury the hatchet or will continue to be at daggers drawn indefinitely. The two countries and the people cannot afford to move in the wrong direction and to be on the wrong side of history,” he said. Many opportunities provided by globalisation to both the countries have been missed and time has come for a new bilateral narrative, Basit said, adding “as neighbours we have no option but to talk to each other and normalise relations for mutual benefits.”
Basit said Pakistan and India have to look for peace rather than create an atmosphere where there is no engagement and Islamabad is willing to engage in dialogue and go out for development agenda and can go beyond narrative.