3. 10 pm: J&K chief minister called UNMOGIP a
'toothless organisation'
Voicing out his opinion on the LoC ceasefire violations, Jammu
and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that stopping
talks with Pakistan is not the solution. "Govt has said shelling will be
answered by shelling. But I think nothing can be solved without talks," he
said.
The J&K chief minister called UNMOGIP a 'toothless
organisation', and said that it has never been able to stop any violence.
"If Pakistan wants a suitable situation then it can only
happen if the guns go silent," he added,
3.00 pm: No flag meeting till Pak stops firing, says Amit Shah
Addressing a rally in Wardha, BJP leader Amit Shah said
that government won't stand Pakistan's treachery. "When there was
Congress government, Pakistan used to start and end firing. But now though
Pakistan begins the firing, India finishes it," he said.
The BJP leader said that Pakistan is begging for a flag meeting,
but India has said that no flag meeting unless firing stops.
12.45 pm: Pakistan will retaliate too, says official
A foreign official of Pakistan told Times Now that Pakistan will
retaliate too. "We are capable of retaliating too," she told
the channel.
Pakistan PM Advisor Sartaj Aziz told CNN-IBN that
there has been unprovoked firing from India's side for several days.
"Pakistan is for peace and wants India to understand that," he
added.
This comes after defence minister Arun Jaitley said that
the Indian forces would be forced to give a 'befitting' reply that would
make the cost of Pakistan's 'adventurism' too high.
11.22 am: We will make the cost of Pakistan's adventurism
unaffordable, says Jaitley
Defence minister Arun Jaitley is out of hospital and is all guns
blazing against Pakistan.
In comments to the media, his first official interaction since
being discharged from AIIMS, Jaitley decried 'unprovoked' firing from Pakistan
along the Line of Control, and said that Indian forces would be forced to give
a 'befitting' reply that would make the cost of Pakistan's 'adventurism' too
high.
"Pakistan, with these attacks, has clearly been the
aggressor", Jaitley said, adding that our armed forces have only one
option: to respond adequately and defend our territories".
The defence minister also ruled out talks with Pakistan until
the firing stopped, and said that there was a connection between increased
firing and infiltration bids from across the border.
10.22 am: Modi won't let India down, says Rajnath Singh
In the face of continued firing along the Line of Control,
Indian union home minister Rajnath Singh has assured media
that PM Modi 'will not let the nation down'.
"The PM is closely monitoring the situation along the
border", Singh said in comments to the media. "He doesn't need
to say anything on this as our jawans are giving a befitting reply to Pakistan.
We are very satisfied with the response we have been getting".
PM Modi has been busy on the campaign trail in both Maharashtra
and Haryana, but has reportedly been kept briefed on the situation in the
border areas.
In his first comments on the incident he told media that
'everything will be fine soon'.
9:40 am: Five civilians injured in overnight shelling by
Pakistan
At least five people were injured in overnight shelling by
Pakistan Rangers on the international border in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
"Five civilians have been injured in Pakistani shelling
during the night. Two people were injured in Ramgarh sector of Samba district
while three injured in Kanachak area of Akhnoor sector of Jammu district,"
a police officer told IANS.
All the injured have been shifted to government medical college
(GMC) hospital in Jammu city.
With these injuries, the total number of injured in Pakistani
shelling has gone up to 60.
8.36 am: Three jawans injured in fresh firing
Three BSF jawans have been injured due to Pakistani shelling in
the RS Pura sector, according to the latest reports coming in.
The incident had taken place at about 6.15 am today, according
to a report on Times Now.
In addition to the jawans, five civilians were also injured in
overnight firing along the border.
8.05 am: Onus of creating positive environment is on Pakistan,
India tells UN
India and Pakistan have sparred at the UN over ceasefire
violations along the LoC with India making it clear that its armed forces are
"fully ready" to respond to "provocation".
India also said that the onus of creating a positive environment
for normalisation of relations is on Pakistan.
War of words between the two countries over the situation at the
Line of Control took place on Tuesday at the UN General Assembly where India
said that it was a "matter of deep regret" that Pakistan violated the
ceasefire, in which eight people were killed and several others injured.
"It is a matter of deep regret that Pakistan has violated
the ceasefire and their unprovoked firing has led to loss of civilian lives on
Indian side...Firing on innocent civilians by Pakistan will only hamper
normalisation of relations.
"The onus of creating a positive environment is on Pakistan
which is utterly failing to do so," senior official at the Indian Mission
to the UN, Devesh Uttam said on Tuesday in his right of reply to Pakistan's
remarks, further adding that India rejected all untenable and unsolicited
remarks made by Pakistan.
7.40 am: Two more killed in Pak firing; death toll now at 8
The death toll in the firing after escalation of ceasefire
violations by Pakistan for over a week rose to eight with the killing of a
woman identified as Shukuntla Devi and her daughter-in-law Poli Devi. Fifteen
more people have been injured in the firing taking to 75 the number of injured
so far, officials said.
Government sources also said that India will continue to respond
to Pakistan on the ceasefire violations according to the situation along the
border and there won't be any flag meetings.
7.05 am: Pakistan continues to violate ceasefire; 7 Indian
sectors targetted
If one thought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance that the firing
along the Indo-Pak border would end soon, it certainly doesn't seem so.
Overnight, Pakistan has targetted seven Indian sectors that
include 60 BSP border posts along the International Border, leaving three
injured in Kanachak, news channelNDTV reported.
With the government coming under attack from the opposition
parties over its handling of the string of ceasefire violations by Pakistan,
Prime Minister Modi had said "everything will be fine soon" on the
border.
Updates for 8 October end
9.30 pm: Pakistan resumes firing on BSF posts in three sectors
Firing from the Pakistani side has resumed at 8 pm targetting
three Indian sectors of Akhnoor, RS Pura and Hiranagar in Jammu. The BSF has
been retaliating with adequate fire.
9.16 pm: Pak PM Nawaz Sharif calls for meeting over border issue
According to Times Now reports Pakistani Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for a meeting over the situation in LoC on 10
October.
Pakistan will also be assessing damages in the region due the
the firings.
8.24 pm: Fresh firing from Pakistan side in RS Pura sectore, BSF
retaliates
There has allegedly been fresh firing from the Pakistan side in
the RS Pura sector of Jammu and Kashmir today evening, report Times Now.
The incident, according to reports, took place around 8 pm and
the BSF too allegedly retaliated.
6.44 pm: Everything will be fine soon, says PM Modi on Pak
ceasefire violations
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was asked about the
situation at the border with Pakistan, he said that everything will be fine
soon.
Meanwhile, launching a counter attack on Congress for
criticising the BJP over the issue party President Amit Shah said,
"Earlier also there was firing from across the border and now also there
is firing from across the border. Earlier, Pakistan used to start and also
finish the firing. Now, Pakistan starts the firing but it is the Indian
military which finishes it."
6.36 pm: Fully ready to respond to Pakistan provocation, India
to UN
India and Pakistan have sparred at the UN over ceasefire
violations along the LoC with India making it clear that its armed forces are
"fully ready" to respond to "provocation".
India also said that the onus of creating a positive environment
for normalisation of relations is on Pakistan.
War of words between the two countries over the situation at the
Line of Control took place yesterday at the UN General Assembly where India
said that it was a "matter of deep regret" that Pakistan violated the
ceasefire, in which eight people were killed and several others injured.
"It is a matter of deep regret that Pakistan has violated
the ceasefire and their unprovoked firing has led to loss of civilian lives on
Indian side...Firing on innocent civilians by Pakistan will only hamper
normalisation of relations.
"The onus of creating a positive environment is on Pakistan
which is utterly failing to do so," senior official at the Indian Mission
to the UN, Devesh Uttam said yesterday in his right of reply to Pakistan's
remarks.
The Indian official stressed that everyone must be
"assured" that India's armed forces and paramilitary forces are
"fully ready and they will respond to provocation".
The Indian diplomat was responding to comments made by
Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Masood Khan when he raised the
issue of Jammu and Kashmir during the 21st plenary meeting of the General
Assembly here yesterday.
Khan said that long-standing festering issues "cannot be
swept under the carpet," reiterating Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif's address to the UN General Assembly last month that the core issue of
Jammu and Kashmir has to be be resolved through negotiations and in accordance
with the wishes of its people.
5:00 pm: PM says no question of bending to Pakistan's tactics,
says report
The Prime Minister has reportedly told the National Security
Advisor that there's no question of succumbing to Pakistan's tactics, and the
armed forces and border security forces will continue to have a free hand in
dealing with it.
CNN-IBN quotes sources as saying that the PM has said there is
no question of engaging in talks with Pakistan while the firing is on.
4:00 pm: Rahul tells Modi: Easy to promise tough stand on
Pakistan, but difficult to deliver
And it's not just in Pakistan, that Prime Minister Modi is
coming in for criticism from. Even Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi made the most of the
opportunity to criticise the government's handling of the situation.
"During his campaign he promised a tough stand against
Pakistan," he said, asking what had happened to the promise.
The Congress Vice President noted that Modi had found it easy to
make the promises but found it difficult to deliver on them.
But it's not just Modi facing the heat. Across the border, Imran
Khan has been targetting Nawaz Sharif on Twitter:
3:00 pm: Pakistani media channels being gagged?
Times Now is quoting sources
as saying that the Pakistani media has been muzzled from showing the damage
inflicted due to Indian troops retaliating fire along the India-Pakistan
border.
The reason? The channel says that the government has apparently
been rattled by the response of the Indian troops and is therefore preferring
that the damage not be shown.
2.41 pm: #CowardModi trend on Twitter in Pakistan
#CowardModi trended on Twitter as users in Pakistan accused
India of violating ceasefire on Eid. Users took pot shots at Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, raking up 2002 Gujarat Riots and asking him to explain his
decision to refrain from wearing a skull cap at public function.
"#India exclusively presents first premier of the world
summoned for killings & murders in #US that's #CowardModi ONLY good at
ruining #Peace," tweeted @RJSadiaSattar. Some of the other tweets also
criticised the Indian army, claiming troops were responsible for the violence
in the valley.
"#ShameOnIndianArmy they have used rape and molestation as
a weapon to humiliate the locals #FreeKashmirFromIndia #CowardModi,"
tweeted @Mariam_Jamali.
1.52 pm: Bilawal Bhutto likens India to Israel, brings up
Gujarat riotsPakistan's new kid on the block Bilawal Bhutto, who has already
generated mass outrage by saying that every inch of Kashmir belongs to
Pakistan, has in a new tweet attacked both the Indian government and Prime
Minister Narendra Modi for LoC violations that he says are perpetrated by Modi.
In an obvious reference to the Gujarat riots, Bhutto also told
Modi that Pakistan unlike his 'victims' were capable of retaliation.
The Pakistan government has been consistently saying that the
Indian government is engaging in 'unprovoked' firing along the Line of Control.
In a statement the Pakistan Foreign
Minister said,
“For seven days now, the Indian security forces have been firing
and shelling across the Line of Control and Working Boundary. Yesterday was Eid
day but the Indian forces, in complete disregard of the festive event, carried
on the fire and put four innocent lives to death. The Eid day when Muslims
celebrate the spirit of sacrifice, the Indian forces played havoc with the
lives of four families whose dear ones embraced Shahadat. It is sad that the
Indian government has not been able to restrain its forces despite strong
diplomatic protest by Pakistan. We call upon Indian government to immediately
cease fire and shelling and help us preserve tranquility."
12.30 pm: MHA calls for high level meet as fresh firing
kills two
The MHA has reportedly called for a high level meet as violence
along the LoC showed every sign of escalating.
The home secretary, IB chief, BSF representatives and Border
Management representatives are reportedly due to attend.
The MHA has already determined that there will be no flag meet
with Pakistan, until a cessation of firing along the border, and is reportedly
waiting for Pakistan to make the first move.
"There is no question of a flag meet with Pakistan",
Army Chief General Suhag said in comments to the media.
India's response to the ceasefire violations is reportedly being
monitored at the highest level with the NSA Ajit Doval seeking hourly reports
from the ground. Even Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who was recently
discharged from AIIMS, is monitoring the situation along the border.
"If we hit them hard, they will come to the negotiating
table themselves. We are not going to sit back and suffer for the sake of
talks," a BSF official told The Times of India.
Pakistan for its part, has blamed India for the violations.
"The government of Nawaz Sharif has been exercising utmost
restraint and responsibility. We call upon the Indian government to immediately
cease fire and shelling. It is sad that the Indian government has not been able
to restrain its forces despite strong diplomatic protest by Pakistan,"
Sartaj Aziz, Advisor to the Pakistan Prime Minister, said.
12.15 pm: Pakistan UN envoy asks Indian govt to observe
ceasefire
According to Times Now reports, the Pakistan
envoy in UN has called upon the Indian government to observe the
ceasefire along the Line of Control.
Pakistan has already registered a protest with the Un monitoring
mission, saying that India has been resorting to unprovoked attacks.
However the UN had reportedly told Pakistan that the issue
needed to be resolved diplomatically.
11.42 am: Two people dead in fresh firing in Samba
Two people have been killed in fresh firing in Samba, marking
the first time that casualties have been recorded in this region.
This takes the death toll since an escalation of violence began,
to seven.
The BSF is reportedly retaliating strongly, and the DG BSF,
asked people to stay inside their homes.
India has been told not to seek any flag meeting as of yet,
reports said. CNN-IBN said that the government is waiting for
Pakistan to make the first move.
11.30 am: Firing still on in seven sectors along
international border
Fresh firing is on in seven sectors along the LoC,
according to fresh reports coming in from the area.
CNN-IBN reported that
firing was on in a number of areas including Hiranagar, Samba and Arula.
Further updates were not immediately available.
11.05 am: Pakistan is Shaitanistan says BJP as fresh firing
kills 1
Even as India vows not to back down until Pakistan stops firing
along the Line of Control, BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that Pakistan
had become 'Shaitanistan' in escalating border tensions.
His comments come in the wake of news that fresh Pakistani
firing had killed one woman and injured another six in Samba.
Meanwhile MoS PMO Jitendra Singh has visited affected border
areas to take stock of the situation.
10.59 am: Air Chief expresses concern over deteriorating border
situation
Air chief Arup Raha has said that India is looking for a quick
resolution to the situation with Pakistan, where escalated firing has killed a
number of civilians.
"This is a serious issue, the government is taking it
seriously,we want a quick resolution", he said in comments to the media.
9.45 am: Indian forces asked to retaliate, reject talks with
Pakistan
Indian forces have been asked to retaliate heavily to firing
from Pakistan and reject talks until all firing stops at the border in Jammu
and Kashmir, NDTV reported, quoting top government sources.
Indian forces have already begun firing in response to repeated
Pakistan attack on BSF border outposts.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times,
India unleashed “massive retaliation” on Tuesday all along the
200-kilometre long International Border. The Indian attack targeted 37
Pakistani border posts, resulting in around 15 deaths, more than 30 injured and
serious damage to outposts manned by the Pakistani Rangers, intelligence
sources told HT.
"While India has no intention of escalating the situation
on the Jammu border, there is no question that the Pakistanis will be allowed
to go without punishment,” said a senior South Block official quoted in the HT
report.
According to an Indian Express report, BSF
officers also said they would not hold any flag meetings with Pakistan to lower
tensions. This is an unusual move because India has held flag meetings with
Pakistan every time the ceasefire was violated in the past.
BSF DG DK Pathak told the Express, “This time
we are not going to speak to Pakistan nor ask them for a flag meeting. During
the last flag meeting on August 24, it was decided by both sides to maintain
peace along the border. They started (shelling) again after 35 days, and that
too on Dussehra. We have decided to be aggressive and will retaliate
effectively.”
9.30 am: Fresh firing in Samba sector kills 1, injures 6
Fresh firing in the Samba sector this morning has killed one
person and injured 6 in the Chilyari village of the Samba sector.
Tensions showed no signs of easing, with firing continuing this
morning, after a massive Pakistan attack which targeted 60 Border Out Posts and
25 border hamlets with heavy mortar shells in Jammu sector and LoC areas in
Poonch district, leaving 12 people including a BSF jawan and a Jt Commanding
Officer injured.
Pakistan's night-long mortar-bomb attacks and rattle of heavy
guns have sent thousands of residents in border villages scurrying for cover.
They fled their mud-houses on buses, tractor-trollies and bullock-carts to
safer places in Jammu leaving behind deserted hamlets.
Military officials of India and Pakistan reportedly discussed
the cross-border firing over the hotline but there were no signs of a solution.
Meanwhile the air chief Arup Raha reportedly expressed his
concern at the 'deteriorating situation' along the international border with
Pakistan.
8.30 am: Pakistan targets 60 border outposts
In escalating ceasefire violations that continued on Tuesday
night, Pakistani troops targeted over 60 Border Out Posts and 25 border hamlets
with heavy mortar shells in Jammu sector and LoC areas in Poonch district,
leaving 12 people including a BSF jawan and a Jt Commanding Officer injured.
A woman was killed and 11 persons were injured in the incident.
Extending the ceasefire violations to new areas, Pakistan
Rangers shelled border outposts (BoPs) and villages in Samba and Kathua along
with Jammu during the night and the firing was continuing till this morning.
A woman was killed in the shelling in Jaladi village in Samba
while 11 people, including three BSF personnel, were injured, a BSF
spokespersons said today.
So far seven persons have been killed and nearly 70 injured in
the escalation since October 1 with over 16,000 people migrating to safer areas
in these districts.
"Pakistani Rangers again resorted to unprovoked mortar
shelling and heavy firing on BSF posts all along International Border (IB)
since 2000 hours last night," the spokesman said.
"As many as 50 BSF BoPs were affected by the fire from
Pakistan side," he said, adding that firing and shelling targeted areas
along IB in Arnia, R S Pura, Kanachak and Pargwal sub-sectors along IB in Jammu
and Samba districts.
The three service chiefs met Defence Minister Arun Jaitley in
Delhi and are understood to have discussed the prevailing security situation on
the border.
Pakistani and Indian troops along the International Border(IB)
and Line of Control (LoC) in J and K exchanged heavy fire on Tuesday night in
which a Junior Commissioned Officer(JCO) and two other armymen were injured.
According to a senior Army official, shelling carried out by
Pakistan along the LoC in the Sabjian area of Poonch district left one JCO and
two armymen injured. The injured have been hospitalised, the official added.
Fresh firing from the Pakistani side was also reported in Kathua
district along the IB apart besides in Jammu and Rajouri districts, police and
BSF sources said.
BSF and Army troops are retaliating to the firing, the sources said.
BSF and Army troops are retaliating to the firing, the sources said.
"There was fresh ceasefire violations by Pakistan at Banwat
and Hamirpur along LoC in Poonch. The firing started at 1620 hours with Small
Arms and Mortars", Defence Spokesman Lt Col Maneesh Mehta said.
"Own forces responded effectively and appropriately. No
casualty till last report came in," he added.
In another ceasefire violation earlier, Defence Spokesman Lt Col Maneesh Mehta said Pakistani troops opened fire with small arms in Balnoie forward belt along LoC in Poonch
district around 1420 hours.
In another ceasefire violation earlier, Defence Spokesman Lt Col Maneesh Mehta said Pakistani troops opened fire with small arms in Balnoie forward belt along LoC in Poonch
district around 1420 hours.
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