Pakistan violated the ceasefire and fired at the international border of RS Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir, injuring two BSF jawans, officials said on Tuesday (October 17).
The firing was reported at 10.20 pm after which the two jawans were injured and rushed to the hospital.
"Two soldiers of Border Security Force were getting the electrical lights done when Pakistan opened fire," officials said.
After this incident, Indian jawans retaliated. Our soldiers fired towards Pak posts Iqbal and Khannor.
The soldiers were getting the lights installed
This incident happened near Vikram BOP of the International Border. Two soldiers of Border Security Force were getting the work of electrical lights done. It was at a distance of about 60 meters from the border and about 1500 meters from the border outpost Vikram.
The ceasefire violation by the Pakistani Army comes at a time when the Pakistani Cricket team is currently in India for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
India-Pakistan ceasefire
India and Pakistan had signed ceasefire agreement on February 25, 2021. Both nations announced that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.
The two countries announced the implementation of a renewed ceasefire along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir after numerous ceasefire violations from the Pakistani side. The ceasefire had brought major relief to the people living along the LoC and the International border for the simple reason that frequent firing had stopped in the region.
A joint statement issued in Islamabad and New Delhi had said the Director Generals of Military Operations of the two countries held discussions over the established mechanism of hotline contact and reviewed the situation along the LoC and all other sectors in a "free, frank and cordial" atmosphere.
Does Pakistan value ceasefire agreements?
According to reports, in 2020, there were nearly 5,000 ceasefire violations or cross-border firing incidents which led to the deaths and destruction of homes. The ceasefire announcement by the two countries had entered its third year in February this year.
India and Pakistan had initially signed a ceasefire agreement in 2003, but Pakistan frequently violated the agreement, with over 5,000 violations reported in 2020— the highest in a single year. The agreement in 2003 was hardly followed in letter and spirit with more violations than observance of the pact.
Before the announcement of ceasefire in 2021, Pakistan had engaged in shelling and firing along the LoC and the International Border (IB) resulting in casualties, damage to houses, schools, health centres and religious places on the Indian side.
In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha in February 2021, Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said a total of 10,752 cases of ceasefire violations had taken place along India's border with Pakistan in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
He said 364 security personnel and 341 civilians were injured in cross-border firings along the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the International Border and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir.
