Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: Despite built up on both sides of the International Border (IB) in Abdullian and surrounding areas of RS Pura sector, the people of border villages were firmly putting up in their houses.
Though fear loomed large on the villagers after heavy firing between BSF and Rangers in which a BSF jawan was killed, the villagers have been putting up in their houses firmly in Abdullian as well as surrounding villages in RS Pura sector.
The people, who have their houses some distance behind the forward villages also, have been sending their women and children there for spending the night. However, they too had been returning to their houses in forward areas during the day.
“There has been absolutely no migration so far from any forward village till tonight”, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Sanjeev Verma said after a visit to Abdullian.
Mr Verma met cross section of people and said they were very brave. None of them has migrated, he said, adding that SDM RS Pura and Naib Tehsildar were camping in the forward villages. SDPO RS Pura Diwakar Singh and other police officers were also stationed in forward areas.
Official sources, however, admitted that the people were worried about increasing hostilities between BSF and Rangers, which have been witnessed after nearly nine years since the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan had come into force.
Senior officers from civil and police administration visited Abdullian today and confirmed that there had been no migration from any forward village. However, they said one or two more rounds of firing between BSF and Rangers could trigger migration.
Built up of forces has been reported from both sides of the border in RS Pura sector.
Authorities have been maintaining strict vigil on the situation, sources said, adding the civil and police officers also visited the underground bunkers constructed by the villagers and found them safe.
The villagers have already restricted their movements to the fields in forward areas for cultivation of their land fearing more firing from Pakistani Rangers.
However, according to sources, no firing had been reported from Abdullian or any other forward village on the IB since yesterday afternoon. Pakistan had opened firing at Abdullian on Thursday evening in which a BSF jawan was killed and repeated it on Friday morning.
There had been no flag meeting between BSF and Rangers after the last one was held in Arnia about 10 days back, sources said.
There had been series of ceasefire violations by the Rangers on the IB including Pansar in Samba, Arnia and Abdullian in RS Pura sector after the detection of 540 meters long underground tunnel inside the Indian territory from Zero Line constructed by the Pakistani authorities from their side at forward village of Chechwal in Samba sector.
Sources said Pakistan had been resorting to firing and ceasefire violations on the IB to diver international attention from the tunnel, which has brought huge embarrassment to the country.
Ceasefire violations have also been reported from the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector.
In the past three days, Pakistan had thrice violated the ceasefire agreement by firing small arms and mortar shells on forward posts along Abdullian village.
Pakistan on August 15 fired on three Indian posts in Hiranagar sector and in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district.
A similar situation had developed in June this year in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch along the LoC when Pakistan violated the ceasefire five times by opening heavy small arms firing and rocket attacks on Indian posts in Poonch sector in which two jawans were killed and four others injured.
There were five ceasefire violations between June 11 and 16 this year along the LoC in Poonch sector.
Finally, the Brigade Commanders flag meeting was held on June 23 last at Chakan-Da-Bagh LoC point in Poonch sector to bring a halt to the Pakistan firing and peace along the border line and resumption of the cross-border trade and travel between PoK and Jammu and Kashmir.
Nearly 25 ceasefire violations have taken place this year compared to 51 cases in 2011 along the IB while 44 cases of ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir were reported in 2010 and 28 in 2009.
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