Jaitley deplores Pak ceasefire violations, says forces ready

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today deplored the ceasefire violations by Pakistan and said the Indian armed forces were "fully ready" and are responding to each of these provations from across the border.

He told Pakistan that it should realise that the kind of environment it was generating between the two countries was certainly not going to help in normalising relations.

Reacting to the continuous ceasefire violations, the minister said Pakistan has been trying to create tension in both the International Border and Line of Control (LoC).

"This is resulting in a series of ceasefire violations as a result of which innocent civilians have lost their lives. Pakistan must realise that the kind of environment it is generating between the two countries is certainly not going to help in normalising relations.  The onus of creating a positive environment is on Pakistan which is utterly failing to do so.

"Let everybody be assured that our armed forces and para-military forces are fully ready and they are responding to each of these provacations from Pakistan," Jaitley said.

In one of the worstt ceasefire violations by Pakistan, five villagers were killed and 29 people injured today in heavy mortar shelling and firing from across the international border and LoC in Jammu and Poonch sectors.