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Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts

24 militants Killed by Pakistan Army


ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army’s jets and ground forces killed 24 militants as part of ongoing operations in the country’s troubled tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, the military and a government official said Tuesday.
Seventeen local and foreign “terrorists” were killed in airstrikes on Tuesday in the North Waziristan tribal region, where the military has been carrying out a major operation since June, a military statement said.
It provided no details and the identity of the slain militants was not known. The airstrikes were launched hours after more than 50 militants attacked a military checkpoint in the Khyber tribal region, triggering a shootout late Monday in which seven militants were killed, said Iqbal Khan, a government official.
The assailants fled when the troops returned fire, he said, adding that security forces were searching the area to trace and arrest the attackers.
North Waziristan and Khyber tribal regions are closed to journalists and there is no way to independently confirm the information.
The Pakistani army says it has killed about 1,200 militants since launching the operation in North Waziristan in mid-June. The push is aimed at eliminating those Pakistani and foreign militants accused of launching attacks in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
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Pakistan and its Democracy

Pakistan and its Democracy: 
The annual meeting of All India Muslim League for the year 1930 was organized at a big Haveli in Allahabad. When the official proceedings of the meeting began, there were less than 75 people in the enclosure, causing panic among the ranks of party officials. According to the party laws, the minimum requirement for meeting quorum at an annual meeting had to be at least 75 people. As a last resort, a famous Urdu poet was tasked with reciting one of his long poems until new members could be recruited by the officials—a process that took two hours. Finally, the official meeting commenced and the Presidential address was read by a Punjabi poet and politicians. The presidential address contained six references to democracy and all of those arguments were against the democratic system of governance. That particular address has been quoted ad nauseum by right-wing commentators and writers of Pakistan’s textbooks—very often the same people—as the first time that the idea of Pakistan was flouted in public by a politician.

A few years after Independence, a scheme was hatched by one of Pakistan’s top generals to stage a coup and form a military council to rule the country. The coup plan was called ‘Rawalpindi Conspiracy’ and it was hatched in 1949-1951 by Major General Akbar Khan. In his view, one of the compelling reasons for staging a coup was:“The People are not fully ready for a democratic state”. Seven years after the Rawalpindi Conspiracy, General Ayub Khan and Iskander Mirza, commented that democracy is not suitable for warmer countries such as Pakistan. The duo was responsible for staging Pakistan’s first successful coup. Ayub Khan tried to bypass the traditional democratic system by establishing a “Basic Democracy” setup. It was nothing but a salad dressing, strengthening Ayub’s iron grip on the country.

A former dictator, in his latest interview, opined that ‘Western Democracy’ cannot be enforced on Pakistan. For the record, the disgraced dictator is heading a political party that contested the parliamentary elections in 2013. Like most disgraced dictators, Mr. Musharraf seems to suffer from dementia. He probably forgot his role in instituting reforms in the local government system, a bed-rock of “western” democratic systems.

Before questioning the assertion regarding practicality of “western democracy” for Pakistan, one needs to first understand what democracy stands for. Democracy is a form of government that evolved in Europe after the renaissance and evolved differently in the United States and in various European countries. Democracy involves upholding the rule of religious equality, tolerance, rule of law, social responsibility, gender equality and the right to vote. If one charts the history of democratic process in Pakistan, there are multiple skeletons in our closet. For a start, we have been directly ruled by military dictators for much of our history. In the intervening periods, people have been given the right to vote without any concern for human rights or gender equality or social responsibility whatsoever.

In the very beginning, there was the Objectives Resolution, a document that contradicted the principle of religious equality, condemning non-Muslims to second-rate citizens in the eyes of the constitution. Religious elements have hijacked the state since they were empowered by the Objectives Resolution. One might advise the former dictator to take a look at India, a country that has successively nurtured democracy, despite having similar history, norms and troubles faced by Pakistan at Independence. One can be tempted to ask the retired military man about millions of people who have voted in elections over the last four decades and their opinion on ‘western democracy’. The consensus on democratic system has reached such heights that even the renegades(PTI-PAT Dharnistas) had to pepper their speeches with paeans of democracy.

There is a need to identify other elements that despise democracy and are actively working to sabotage the system, apart from our military. It is not a surprise that terrorist organisations such as the TTP and Al-Qaeda share Master Musharraf’s views on ‘western’ democracy. Incidentally, in the same interview, Musharraf admitted that he had given permission for US-led drone strikes in tribal areas(against TTP and Al-Qaeda).
Political Scientist Professor Mohammad Waseem is of the view that Pakistan is the most democratic country in the Muslim World and that Pakistan’s population at large is inclined towards electoral politics as opposed to most other Muslim-majority countries. The evolution of democracy in Pakistan has been a gradual process and because of unexpected intermissions from adventurers like Mr. Musharraf, the train to democracy has been derailed on numerous occasions.

What charlatans like Mr. Musharraf fail to publicly announce, inherent in the opposition to democracy: Quest for Dictatorship. Political Economists agree upon the fact that dictatorial regimes leave behind a toxic legacy and it takes decades to wipe out the after-effects. Pakistan is still struggling with policies instituted during Zia’s regime and generals are pining for a rerun of the same opera. Democracy can be messy, it can lead to demagogues ruling the roost, internecine conflicts among political factions and lack of development. This transient phase can be controlled and progress guaranteed only if saboteurs like Musharraf are kept in check.
Related Topics : Democracy and Pakistan, India, Pakistan, Democracy, Pakistan News, News,democracy in pakistan, democracy in pakistan essay, democracy quotes, democracy essay
05:28 | Category: , , , , , , , | 0 comments

Call to normalize trade ties between Pakistan, India

ISLAMABAD: Dr Vaqar Ahmed, the Deputy Executive Director, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, has stressed the need for normalizing trade relations between Pakistan and India to benefit both the local manufacturers and consumers besides technology transfer and greater export surplus.
He was speaking at a two-day regional consultation on `Deepening Economic Cooperation in South Asia: Expectations from the 18th SAARC Summit' organized by South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in cooperation with SDPI in Kathmandu.
The programme was organized as a side-event to the 18th SAARC Summit to provide useful recommendations to deepen economic cooperation in South Asia.
"The Government of Pakistan must take a lead in expediting SAARC-level pending agreements on transport, energy, connectivity and dispute resolution," Dr Vaqar said, adding that the current free trade agreements in the region should be revised to include investment and technology clauses. He suggested that trade and investment barriers can be addressed only by increasing people to people interaction and moving towards a more open visa regime.
Earlier, In his inaugural remarks, Nepalese Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said that South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has long dreamed of deeper regional cooperation for economic growth and prosperity, and has undertaken initiatives to facilitate trade and investment, and improve regional connectivity. However, financial and investment-related constraints largely affect the efficient implementation of trade and transport facilitation measures.
He expressed the hope that SAARC would undertake necessary steps to promote intra-regional investments and attract foreign direct investments (FDIs).
Expressing dissatisfaction over most of the countries' failure in implementing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the region, he emphasized that the SAARC Development Goals should be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals in line with the post-2015 development agenda.
Further, he highlighted the necessity to take mitigation and adaptive measures to address the threat of climate change, which is going to impact, among others, food security of the region. Strengthening of regional cooperation on this front is essential, he added. He expressed hope that the 18th SAARC Summit would be able to send across a strong message that SAARC leaders are ready to revitalize and implement all past initiatives undertaken by SAARC to deepen regional integration.
Adil Khattak, CEO of Attock Oil Refineries, said as to how regional supply chains in energy sector could alleviate the various forms of power and gas deficits in Pakistan and South Asia. He said Pakistan had significant potential of trade in energy and petroleum products with South Asian countries, which should not go wasted due to the slow cooperation in SAARC region.
Former President of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries Zubair Ahmed provided an account of the barriers faced by the business community when conducting trade within South Asia, and stressed the need to go beyond trade in goods and also look at how to exploit the untapped potential of the services sector.
He called upon the Government of Pakistan to grant MFN status to India.
SAWTEE Executive Chairman Dr Posh Raj Pandey said that despite the existence of SAARC, progress in deepening regional integration has been frustratingly slow and gains have only been modest. "What is needed to move SAARC forward is political will and sincere commitments at the highest level," he suggested.
He further said that informal trade in the region being substantially higher than formal trade is testimony of policy-induced trade barriers, which need to be overcome to make SAARC a truly economically integrated region.
More than 60 participants, including researchers, policy makers, private sector representatives and media, among others, from different South Asian countries participated in the regional consultation.
They deliberated on issues such as trade and transport facilitation, and transit; non- tariff barriers; trade, gender and technology transfer; India-Pakistan trade relations; intra- regional investment cooperation; and regional cooperation for energy security.


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Pakistan won't allow India to resolve Kashmir dispute its own way: Aziz

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz blamed on Saturday India for wanting to resolve the Kashmir dispute in its own way, which he said Pakistan would not allow.
“India wants to resolve the Kashmir dispute in its own way and Pakistan will not allow this Indian attempt to succeed,” he said while speaking to reporters in Islamabad.
The adviser added that Pakistan is responding to Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary in a befitting manner, adding that the Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be mistaken as its weakness.
The adviser on foreign affairs said Pakistan has been highlighting human rights violations by the Indian forces in Indian Kashmir where India has deployed 700,000 troops to suppress Kashmiris.
Referring to India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement disapproving of Pakistan’s recent move of approaching the UN to ‘internationalise the Kashmir issue’ and seeking the world body’s intervention, saying all issues could be resolved through bilateral talks, Aziz said, “UN resolutions on Kashmir cannot be ended in this way.”
“We are making efforts at an international level to make the UN Military Observers Mission more active,” he said while talking about cross-border firing by India.
“The government will send emissaries and delegations to different countries to inform them about the Indian aggression on Line of Control and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir by the Indian forces,” he added.
Kashmir to observe Black Day on Monday
Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world over will observe Black Day on October 27 to convey to the world that India has occupied Jammu and Kashmir against their will, according to Radio Pakistan.
The day will be marked with a complete shut down in Indian Kashmir and rallies in world capitals as it was October 27, 1947 that Indian troops invaded Jammu and Kashmir and occupied it.
A call for the shut down has been given by the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
Farooq criticised India for diluting the Kashmir dispute and delaying its resolution by raking up electoral and administrative issues.
Addressing a gathering at Charar-e-Sharief in Badgam he said, “Kashmir is a political issue concerning aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and unfulfilled promises on the right to self-determination by Indian leadership. Ironically, India is using all means to dilute the Kashmir dispute by linking it with electoral and administrative issues,” Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported.
The APHC chairman said that delaying tactics by New Delhi vis-a-vis resolution of Kashmir would compound the longstanding dispute. ”If India thinks that its military approach can suppress the sentiments and aspirations of Kashmiris, it is mistaken as Kashmiris have rendered unparalleled sacrifices for securing their right to self-determination.”
He added that hostilities between India and Pakistan would only end with the resolution of the Kashmir conflict.
Mirwaiz also extended complete support for the planned Million March in London, on 26 October, by the Kashmiri's living in Britain and across Europe.
He said that on this day, the Hurriyet leadership on both sides of the Line of Control would submit a memorandum to the European Union and the British Parliament demanding their intervention in resolution of the dispute.
“British government has moral responsibility to resolve the Kashmir dispute as it was instrumental in creation of this problem in 1947,” he remarked.


09:32 | Category: , , , , , , | 0 comments

LoC tension live:

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.
"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.
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