Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde visits the flashpoint areas along India's border with Pakistan in the backdrop of a series of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops, the latest reported early this morning from the Abdullian sector in RS Pura. The visit also comes as a war of words between India and Pakistan over Kashmir is on, with Islamabad lashing out at India for calling the disputed region an integral part of the country.
Here are the latest developments:
"You fight for us, for the nation. You are very brave and I congratulate you all," Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told the Indian soldiers as he visited the forward posts in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir, which is among the areas worst hit by Pakistan's shelling in over a decade.
In a significant statement with far-reaching implications on the morale of the security apparatus, Mr Shinde said all the central para-military forces will get the status of the ex-servicemen.
Hours ahead of Mr Shinde's visit, there was fresh violation from across the international border today at the Abdullian sector of RS Pura in which several BSF posts were targeted in heavy firing that continued for an hour. (Read)
Mr Shinde's visit comes in the backdrop of over 200 ceasefire violations by Pakistan this year, with over 50 reported along the international border in the past week.
The Home Minister is also expected to visit Hiranagar police station in Kathua district, where five policemen were killed in an attack by the militants last month. The attack is said to have escalated the ceasefire violations.
Mr Shinde is expected to chair the army's Unified Command meeting in Jammu, in which the overall security situation in Kashmir is expected to be reviewed.
The frequent ceasefire violations by the Pakistan army has triggered fear among civilians in the border areas, forcing them to migrate from their villages to safer locations.
Yesterday, Army Chief General Bikram Singh met Defence Minister AK Antony to discuss the situation at the Line of Control following the ceasefire violations.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah yesterday said ceasefire violations cannot be tolerated and the government should explore other options. "Obviously this cannot be a one-sided affair. It cannot be a situation where we are the receiving end and no response is given," he said.
The latest border provocation by Pakistan came against the backdrop of a controversy over the country's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's hint at seeking US intervention to resolve the Kashmir dispute. Mr Sharif is in the US for a four-day tour, the first such bilateral visit in five years. The US has denied any plans to intervene. "On Kashmir, our policy has not changed an iota," a US official said.
