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Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat Over Border Shooting

11:14 AM ETConfirmed

World Desk

In Short: Pakistan summoned India's charge d'affaires to protest the killing of two civilians by Indian border forces.

Pakistan summoned India's charge d'affaires on Saturday to protest the killing of two civilians by Indian border forces, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and arabnews.pk (Pakistan).

Al Jazeera (Qatar) reported that the incident occurred in the Bedian sector along the international border, while arabnews.pk (Pakistan) stated the two men were residents of Kasur in Punjab province.

Both outlets noted that Pakistan's Foreign Ministry described the use of force as 'wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate,' and urged India to strictly observe bilateral arrangements and exercise maximum restraint.

However, the accounts differ on the circumstances leading to the shooting. Al Jazeera (Qatar) cited Indian media reports describing the incident as an 'infiltration' attempt, while arabnews.pk (Pakistan) said the three men were unarmed and had not attempted to cross the border fence.

Despite the conflicting accounts, both publications agreed that the shooting near Pakistan’s eastern Kasur district resulted in the deaths of two Pakistani civilians.

The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between the two countries over cross-border militancy in Kashmir, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting militant groups and Pakistan denying these claims.

Pakistan's military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, described the episode as a 'false flag' and presented Indian military statements, government releases, and media reports that he said showed an attempt to implicate Pakistan.

India's External Affairs Ministry and the Border Security Force (BSF) did not immediately respond to requests for comment, leaving the exact circumstances of the shooting unclear.

In a separate development, Pakistan also summoned India's charge d'affaires over a naval incident in the Arabian Sea, where a Pakistani naval vessel allegedly collided with an Indian warship during a routine surveillance mission.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in India said the Pakistani naval ship's conduct was in direct contravention of the 1991 agreement between India and Pakistan on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troops Movements.

Pakistan's foreign ministry responded by summoning the charge d'affaires of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, hours after New Delhi lodged a strong protest over the incident.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• “The BSF personnel resorted to unprovoked and lethal force against unarmed civilians. Such use of force was wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate, resulting in the tragic loss of two precious lives,” it said.
• Pakistan summoned India's chargé d'affaires on Saturday over the killing of two Pakistani civilians by Indian border forces, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said.
• Islamabad urged India to "strictly observe relevant bilateral arrangements and established border procedures" and exercise maximum restraint in dealing with incidents along the frontier.
• The two Pakistani men were killed on Friday in firing by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) near the international frontier dividing the two countries, Pakistani security sources said, with both sides giving conflicting accounts of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
• The shooting near Pakistan’s eastern Kasur district came a day after Islamabad challenged Indian reports that its forces had killed a former Pakistani soldier who was working for a militant group in Kashmir, with Pakistan’s military producing the soldier alive at a news conference.
• “It was underscored that the incident constituted a serious violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, and raised serious concerns regarding the protection of civilian life under international law,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
• Indian media, citing BSF and other official sources, gave a different account, describing the men as suspected Pakistani infiltrators who were attempting to cross into India near a border post in Punjab.
• The statement came days after Indian authorities said security forces had killed a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander identified as Hashim Musa, also known as Asif Fauji, in an intelligence-led operation in Budgam.
• Indian media published a photograph of a Pakistani national identity card belonging to former soldier Mohammad Asif, reporting that his body had been recovered after the operation and that he had been involved in a string of militant attacks in disputed Kashmir.
• Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry described the episode as a “false flag,” presenting Indian military statements, government releases and media reports that he said showed an attempt to implicate Pakistan.
• India has long accused Pakistan of cross-border militancy in Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed in full but ruled in part by both countries.
• India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers and launched strikes inside Pakistan the following month.

What's still developing

• Citing security sources, Pakistan's state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that the three men, residents of Kasur in Punjab province, had moved a few steps beyond a border pillar when Indian personnel opened fire without warning.
• Tarn Taran Deputy Superintendent of Police (Bhikiwind) Atul Soni said three intruders were advancing towards the Indian side, but one later returned to Pakistan.
• The two others continued moving towards the Indian side despite warnings from BSF troops to turn back, Soni said.
• Under Article 10, Indian and Pakistani naval ships and submarines are required to maintain a minimum separation of three nautical miles to reduce the risk of accidents.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed that the diplomat was advised to convey to the Pakistani authorities concerned, the need for all military units to observe due care and respect the provisions of the relevant agreements between the two sides in order to prevent any repeat of such incidents.
• New Delhi had invoked the same article in 2011, when it protested what it described as risky manoeuvres by Pakistan Navy vessel PNS Babur involving Indian Navy ship INS Godavari.
• The diplomatic protest has now been conveyed on both sides of the border.
• Also Read | Pakistan, Indian Navy ships come head-on in international waters: What we know In a statement on Wednesday, Pakistan said its navy was undertaking its biennial exercise SEASPARK-26, claiming that an Indian vessel had “carried out aggressive maneuvers in dangerously close proximity” of one of its naval ships.

Sources

• Reuterslink
• Al Jazeeralink
• Arabnewslink
• Assamtribunelink
• Hindustan Timeslink
• Newindianexpresslink
• TRT Worldlink
• Thenewslink
• thekabultribune.comlink
• Al Jazeeralink
• Thebridgechroniclelink
• Scmplink
• Arabnewslink
• WarpBeat — background on Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat Over Border Shooting link
• WarpBeat — background on Airstrike Hits Kandahar, Killing Civilians link
• BOL News — video link