India on Thursday vowed to “effectively and forcefully” respond to repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan, as unprovoked firing by the neighbouring country’s armed forces along the border struck a jarring note less than a week after the prime ministers of the two nations agreed upon a roadmap of engagement.
New Delhi stated that it would for now remain committed to the roadmap of engagement Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart M Nawaz Sharif agreed upon when they met at Ufa in Russia on July 10.
The government, however, also indicated that it would review its position in case Pakistan Rangers and Army continued to flout truce along the Line of Control as well as the undisputed stretch of the border.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh had a meeting to review the situation. Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar, Home Secretary L C Goyal and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar also attended the meeting.
Doval also had a meeting with BSF Director General D K Pathak. The government later said that the Army and Border Security Force had been asked to give a befitting response to unprovoked firing by the armed forces of Pakistan.
Pakistan sought to blame armed forces of India for violations of the ceasefire along the border. New Delhi’s envoy to Islamabad, T C A Raghavan, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan government where foreign secretary of the neighbouring country, A A Chaudhry, lodged a protest with him for ceasefire violation by soldiers of India.
Islamabad also sought to accuse India’s armed forces of violating the airspace of Pakistan, with a helicopter on Sunday and with a drone on Wednesday. New Delhi rubbished the allegations of Islamabad.
“We remain committed to steps that contribute to ensuring peace and tranquillity on the border,” Foreign Secretary told mediapersons. “However, there should be no doubt that any unprovoked firing from the Pakistani side would meet with an effective and forceful response from our forces. Nor will we let down our guard against infiltration and cross-border terrorism,” he added.
Asked if New Delhi will go ahead with its engagement with Islamabad even after ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Jaishankar said: “If the intention or the inclination is to strengthen peace and tranquillity on the border and do the meetings that we have agreed to do, we remain committed to that.”
“If, on the other hand, there is unprovoked firing and there is infiltration and cross-border terrorism then, obviously, the situation is different. So, that choice is not ours,” he said, sending out veiled warning to Islamabad.
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