Shinde to skip forward posts during border visit

In the wake of escalation in ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde will not be going to any forward post and confine himself to meeting BSF personnel in Sambha district in this region.

The decision to keep the Home Minister away from the forward posts was taken in view of continued shelling from across the International Border by Pakistani Rangers for last two days, official sources said.

Earlier, Shinde was scheduled to visit three forward posts including Parahpur observation post but the plan was dropped after a fresh assessment of the situation by the Union Home Ministry, the sources said. The Home Minister will now be holding meeting with BSF personnel in Sambha from where he would fly to Hira Nagar police station area where four people, including a police official, were gunned down on September 26 by terrorists.

He may visit Army installation which had also come under terror attack. A Lt Col and three jawans were killed while a Colonel was injured in the incident.

Later, the Home Minister will jointly chair a meeting of Unified Headquarters with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during which review of the situation would be done, the sources said.

The meeting will be attended by top brass of state police, Army, BSF and CRPF besides officials from intelligence agencies and Union Home Ministry.

136 ceasefire violations have been reported so far this year, the highest in the past eight years. Even today, Pakistani Rangers opened fire at 10 border posts, injuring two persons.