The Indian BSF continued unprovoked firing on Charwa, Bajra Ghari and Chaprar sectors of Sialkot working boundary on Wednesday, and expanded the radius of firing on Shahkargrah sector. The violations of Sialkot's working boundary by the BSF have been increasing with every passing day in Sialkot and Shahkargrah areas.
One person, identified as Shams, was also martyred on Wednesday morning in village Chak Sukha in the BSF's ruthless shelling on the civil population. Several houses had been damaged badly in the firing early Wednesday morning in village Chak Sukha. However, dwellers survived miraculously. The firing was still continuing on different sectors of Sialkot's working boundary on Wednesday.
As many as 12 animals died and more than 16 injured in unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on civil population residing in the adjoining areas of border. A large number of houses and other buildings had also been damaged badly in ruthless firing in various border villages. A resident of village Chak Sukha, Yaqub, told this correspondent that Indian BSF started shelling on the village early in the morning when people were busy in their daily chores. He said that although the splinters of bomb badly damaged the wall of his house, his family remained safe.
Meanwhile, people belonging to various walks of life have strongly condemned the unprovoked firing of the BSF on the civil population and urged upon the peace-loving nations and the United Nations to take notice of the grave violations of Sialkot's working boundary by the BSF. They said that the UN and peace-loving nations should influence Indian government to stop these violations for the restoration of peace in the region.
So far, the BSF had violated for 31 times in 2014, while 33 times in 2013. Talking to media persons on Tuesday at Rangers Headquarters, Sector Commander of Chenab Rangers, Brigadier Waseem Zafar Bhatti, said it is very unfortunate that BSF was resorting to ruthless firing and targeting civil population, whereas Chenab Rangers never indulged in such unlawful activities.
The BSF wanted to disrupt normal life and damage property of the people as the Indian side didn't want to maintain peace despite holding Sector Commanders' meeting in this regard, he said, adding that the Indian BSF always resorted to firing on different Islamic festivals such as Eid and targeted civilian population living in the vicinity of the working boundary.
During a visit to village Charway, residents told media team that Indian forces opened unprovoked firing on the village last midnight, causing damage to several houses, besides killing and injuring a large number of animals. It was, however, noted that despite heavy firing by Indian forces on border villages, the moral of the villagers was high as both and women were seen busy in their daily chores such as working on the fields, grazing animals and cutting fodder.
Reuters add: "We are all concerned and want an early solution to it (the fighting)," India's Air Chief Arup Raha told reporters. "We don't want to let the issue become serious." A senior border security force official said Indian forces had retaliated to machine gun and mortar attacks on about 60 positions along a more than 200-km (125-mile) stretch of the border on Wednesday.
Some 18,000 Indian civilians have fled their homes in the lowlands around Jammu due to the fighting, and have taken refuge in schools and relief camps. "If India and Pakistan troops have hostility, let them fight. What have we done to them?" said Gharo Devi, 50, in Arnia, where five civilians were killed on Monday. Devi had taken refuge in a school, closed because of the fighting.
In Pakistan, Muhammad Rafiq, a 48-year-old farmer, said he narrowly escaped death when a mortar hit his home, causing the mud and straw roof to cave in and blasting his bed into a twisted heap while he was in the washroom. "I was so scared I locked myself in," he said, holding the metal propeller of the mortar that fell on his home. "Firing has been going on every night. My family cannot stay here."
Two boys and their grandmother were killed by a mortar as they slept just down the street, he added. The home was littered with bloody bedclothes. The younger child, a 3-year-old boy, was beheaded by the blast, neighbours said. Pakistani Major General Khan Tahir Javed Khan said the number of mortar rounds and bullets fired had surged in recent weeks. "It is the most intense in decades," Khan said of the fighting. "My message to them would be please de-escalate."
"This unrest is a logical consequence of worsening political relations between India and Pakistan," said Michael Kugelman, Senior Program Associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. "What's particularly worrisome is that Pakistan's military appears to now be in the driver's seat of India policy - and the military has much less enthusiasm for reconciliation." In most cases India blames outbreaks of fighting along the border on Pakistani troops they say give cover to separatist militants trying to enter India's part of Kashmir. India claimed to have killed three militants on Monday. Pakistan says India's military is abusing the human rights of Muslim Kashmiris.