Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 14: Much anticipated Brigade Commander level flag meeting between India and Pakistan today ended in a huff at Chakan-Da-Bagh in Poonch district with India issuing a stern warning to Pakistan that it reserved the right to retaliated at appropriate time and place against the provocative act of the troops from across the LoC, who were responsible for the brutal killing of two Army soldiers.
The 32 minutes meeting between Brigade Commanders of the two sides, assisted by three officers each, ended without any positive result and instead created more animosity between the two sides as both of them blamed each other for the ‘provocations’.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that the meeting started at 1 pm and ended at 1.32 pm in highly surcharged atmosphere with Indian side taking very strong exception to the killing of two jawans Lance Naik Hem Raj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh by the Pakistan Army regulars after intruding into Indian territory on January 8 at Mankot area of Krishna Ghati sector.
They warned the Pakistan Army officials in categorical terms that repetition of such acts wouldn’t be tolerated and the Indian Army reserved the right to retaliate at the place and time of “our own choice if the provocations recur”.
On Pakistan’s denial that their troops had neither intruded inside the Indian territory nor killed the two jawans, Indian side is reported to have given evidence of the killings and refused to buy the Pakistan theory of denials after denials.
The Army also claimed head of Lance Naik Hem Raj and two service weapons of Raj and Sudhakar Singh, which were taken away by the Pakistani troops after killing both the jawans last Tuesday.
Sources said the Indian team in the flag meeting blamed Pakistan for frequent ceasefire violations and aiding and abetting infiltration attempts by the militants on the LoC especially in Krishna Ghati sector for the past quite sometime. On Saturday night, Army side, six to seven intruders were spotted on the side but fled back to PoK after retaliation.
“While India was committed to maintain ceasefire, it was not going to tolerate any kind of provocation by Pakistan and would retaliate effectively to any misadventure by the troops from across the LoC”, sources said, adding that a stern message has been delivered to Pakistan Army officials to behave or face music.
Sources said to India’s stern warning that India has right to retaliate at appropriate time and place against Pakistan Army’s provocations, the Pakistan side reportedly maintained silence.
Instead, Pakistan Army is said to have blamed Indian troops for indulging in construction activity on the LoC in Krishna Ghati sector and killed two Pakistani soldiers in Uri (Baramulla) and opposite KG sector on January 6 and 11 respectively, sources said.
They added that Pakistan Army tried to take shelter in the killings of their two jawans and blamed Indian side for ceasefire violations on the LoC. They pointed out that one of their officer was killed in a sniper shot fired from Indian side in KG sector.
Sources confirmed that the flag level meeting, which had been sought by India on Friday through a hotline message to Pakistan, virtually ended in a deadlock as both sides stick to their positions. However, sources sounded confident that the meeting was at least a beginning and if there were no ceasefire violations by Pakistan side in the next few days, it could de-escalate the situation to some extent.
Pakistan had yesterday agreed for Brigade Commander level flag meeting at Chakan-Da-Bagh.
An official handout issued by PRO (Defence) Lt Col Rajesh Kalia said: “our representatives expressed grave concern over the barbaric act by Pakistani troops in the recent ambush of our patrol in Mendhar Sector. Indian Army raised a strong protest against the heinous mutilation of our deceased soldier’s bodies, pointing out that it was against the tenets of the Geneva Convention as also in contravention to all established norms of soldierly behaviour.
“It was conveyed to the Pakistan delegation that such a dastardly and cowardly act is totally unacceptable and is a premeditated attempt to undermine the ceasefire agreement of 2003, which can lead to further escalation. It was conveyed in no uncertain terms that repetition of such acts will not be tolerated and the Indian Army reserved the right to retaliate at the place and time of our own choosing in case they recur”.
The Pakistani delegation leader denied their involvement in the incident and ceasefire violations by their troops. They reiterated the false and fabricated allegations that Indian troops crossed over the Line of Control and killed one Pakistani soldier and injured another. Their response was on expected lines wherein they stated that no ceasefire violation has been initiated by their troops, Lt Col Kalia said.
The situation along the Line of Control is being closely monitored and necessary vigil is being maintained by own troops, he added.
Amid escalating tension along the LoC, the Indian Army had sent a hotline message to the Pakistan Army on January 11 and called for a Brigade Commander-level flag meeting to discuss the issues of brutal killing of two jawans after a major intrusion by Pakistani troops and increasing incidents of firing and ceasefire violations in Poonch sector.
Pakistan had yesterday responded to the request for flag meeting through hot-line.
Pakistan has suspended cross-LoC trade and travel at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point in Poonch sector since Thursday and Friday respectively.
This is second Brigade Commander-level flag meeting held along the LoC in Poonch in the last six months.
A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting was held on June 23 last year to discuss the killing of two soldiers in ceasefire violations, besides closure of LoC trade and travel between two sides via Chakan-Da-Bagh point.
The two jawans, including one of BSF, were killed and four injured in firing by Pakistan troops in four ceasefire violations between June 11 and June 16 last year along the LoC in Poonch sector.
Ahead of the meeting, Pakistani troops had yesterday violated the ceasefire targeting Indian posts in Poonch sector.
Pakistan troops had fired on the Indian posts in Nangi Tekri forward area along LoC in Poonch district around 1630 hours yesterday, after heavy overnight firing in Krishna Ghati sub-sector in Poonch.
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