Border tension continues as Pakistan targets Indian posts

The Pakistan army violated ceasefire again along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir by targeting several Indian positions with small arm fire, the second such incident in the past 12 hours, an army officer said.

The Pakistan army opened 'unprovoked' firing on Indian Army positions in the Shah Pur Kerni area of Poonch sector at 1.50 pm, the officer said. The intermittent firing was going on when the reports last came in. The officer said that the Indian side has effectively retaliated.

Saturday's ceasefire violation is the second such violations on the Line of Control in the past 12 hours.

The Pakistan army had targeted the Indian positions in the Naushera sector of Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir late on Friday night.

It started "unprovoked" firing on Indian positions at 9:25 pm and the firing lasted till 11:45 pm, a defence spokesman said. He said no loss of life or injury was reported from the Indian side when the reports last came in.

There has seen a sudden spurt of ceasefire violations from across the border this month.

A woman was killed and six others, including two Border Security Force jawans, were injured on July 15 in firing and mortar shelling in Jammu district by Pakistan Rangers. On July 9, Pakistani troops had fired at a forward border post in North Kashmir killing a BSF jawan.

On July 5, a BSF jawan was killed in Pakistani firing along the LoC in the Nougam sector in Kashmir Valley.

If India, Pak have will issues will be resolved: Abdul Basit

Amid the ongoing tension between the two countries, Pakistan High

Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said his country is committed to improving ties with India and that issues between both the countries could be resolved if they have the "will".

"We hope relations between the two countries will improve and if both sides have the will, then there is no reason our issues such as poverty, illiteracy and disease cannot be resolved," he said after meeting the Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid in New Delhi on the occasion of Eid. "Pakistan is always committed to improve ties to resolve the issues," he said.

The Pakistan high commissioner's comments come amid heightened tension along the border due to ceasefire violations. India has warned Pakistan of "effective and forceful" response to unprovoked firing and cross-border terrorism.

India and Pakistan are also involved in 'visa war' with both sides accusing each other of not issuing assignment visas to their diplomats and officials.

While India maintained that Pakistan has not issued visas to its 12 officials including to a naval attache, Pakistan has said it has recently issued several assignment visas to Indian officials but none were issued by India.

Image: The LoC along the J&K border is defended by the Indian Army soldier. Photograph: Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.com