Army denies Hindu report: says, grandmother crossing LoC into PoK incident was 16 months old

New Delhi, Jan 10: The Indian Army today denied a report published in The Hindu saying that the recent clashes between Indian and Pakistani soldiers originated after a 70-year-old grandmother crossed over to Pak Occupied Kashmir to stay with her sons after which the army began to set up observation posts close to the Line of Control. An army press release said, 70-year-old Reshma Bi had crossed the LoC on September 26, 2011, an incident which was 16 months old and was not linked to the recent ceasefire violation incidents. The press release also denied that Pakistani troops had demanded halt to construction work on the Indian side in Uri by using a public address system. Some other facts refuted in The Hindu report related to the name of the General Officer Commanding 19 Infantry Division. “Maj Gen G S Rawat is not the GOC, Major Gen Khandare is the GOC, 19 Infantry Division”, the release said. The Army also denied that any permission was ever sought by the GOC for aggressive action against any Pakistani post. The Army also denied that Indian troops transgressed the LoC in the Uri sector on January 6 this year. The release said, Pakistan had carried out ceasefire violations on Jan 5 night and controlled retaliation was carried out by Indian troops on Jan 6. The Hindu report had stated that in September last year, 70-year old Reshma Bi, left the village of Charonda, near Uri, to live with her sons and grandchildren across the Line of Control. The report had stated that after the flight across the LoC came to the notice of Uri-headquartered 19 infantry brigade, troops of 9 Maratha Light Infantry began constructing observation bunkers around Charonda, located close to the Line of control, outside the three layer fencing which runs along the LoC. The Hindu report had said that the construction work — barred by the terms of the Line of Control ceasefire which India and Pakistan agreed to in 2003 — provoked furious protests from Pakistani troops. The Hindu report had also stated that early in October tensions began to escalate. Pakistan even made announcements over a public address system, demanding that Indian troops end the construction work, The Hindu report had said. The Hindu report had said that on January 6, following a low-grade exchange of fire that night, 19 Infantry Division commander Gulab Singh Rawat sought and obtained permission for aggressive action against the Pakistani position from where his troops were being targeted. The Hindu report had said that fighting had been underway in the Krishna Ghati sector, on the southern end of the Haji Pir pass, since June. The Hindu report had stated that skirmishes there had earlier claimed the life of Border Security Force constable P.K. Mishra and Indian Army soldier Harvinder Singh. The fighting in the summer also began with disputes over the construction of new border outposts by India. The newspaper report citing government sources in New Delhi said a Pakistani Border Action Team — assault units that in the past have been reported to consist of both jihadists and members of the élite Special Services Group — are believed to have carried out the attack. “It is almost certainly a retaliation for what happened in Charonda”, a military official in New Delhi told The Hindu. “This kind of thing has often happened in the past, though it hasn't got quite so much media attention.”