Despite ceasefire violations, Indian army releases Pakistani national

Kamanpost, Uri: Hours after the Pakistani troops fired at the Indian posts along the International Border in Jammu, killing two civilians and injuring more than six people including a BSF jawan on Saturday morning, the Indian Army’s 12 Brigade, based in the border town of Uri, handed over a Pakistani national, who had accidentally slipped inside the Indian territory on 20 August. Mangta Gujjar, 75, a resident of Chapper village on the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir said he was cutting wood in the forests near the LoC, when he accidentally crossed over to the Indian side. [caption id=“attachment_1678553” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mangta Gujjar. Sameer Yasir/Firstpost[/caption] “I was cutting wood and suddenly had breathing problems when accidentally I slipped to the Indian side,” Gujjar told Firstpost, inside an army facility center near Kaman Bridge, were he was later handed over to Pakistani troops deployed near the Kaman post. The Indian Army posted along the LoC in Uri apprehended Mangta Gujjar, but provided him immediate medical care after realizing his deteriorating health. He was kept for three days in supervision of doctors, as he complained of breathing problems. “The Indian Army took very good care of me. They gave me gifts and I am going back with good memories,” Gujjar, who spoke in Pahari language, a common dialect for the people living across the LoC in Uri said. As the Indian soldiers took Gujjar towards the Kaman bridge, which divides the Kashmir into two parts, he said in hushed voice he wished peace would prevail along the border between India and Pakistan. An army officer who spoke to Firstpost said they had intercepted Gujjar near the LoC on 20 August early in the morning and provided him medical relief as he faced breathing problems. However, nearly 90 miles west of Kaman bridge Pakistani soldiers killed two civilians in an “unprovoked” firing on Saturday morning, when they fired at multiple Indian posts throughout the intervening night of 22 August. For the last five days firing at the LoC and International Border in Jammu has been going on unabated leading to the migration of thousand of civilians living along the International Border and LOC in Jammu. The number of ceasefire violations, analysts say, have dramatically increased since the Narendra Modi government took the decision of cancelling the foreign secretary level talks following a meeting between Kashmiri separatists and Pakistani High Commissioner, Abdul Basit, in New Delhi. On Saturday thousands of residents of RS Pura sector and adjoining areas, who had been camping inside the bunkers of BSF due to heavy shelling, started migrating to plains for the safety, the distract administration said. In last twelve days, officials said, fourteen incidents of ceasefire violations have taken place in different places on the International border and LoC. From January to July this year Indian officials have accused the Pakistani Army of violating ceasefire more than 54 times. And From 26 May to 22 July, since the Modi government came into power 19 ceasefire violations have taken place along the International border and LoC, official sources said. In the month of August alone officials say Pakistani Army has violated the ceasefire over 16 times. This has led the district administration of Jammu to evacuate more than 3,000 people living in border hamlets to safe areas under a contingency plan. The evacuation happened after the latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan soon after midnight targeting the entire border belt of Arnia and RS Pura as well as Hamirpur sub-sector in Poonch. Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said Indian security forces are responding effectively to protect the country’s interests. “This is a fact that of late, these ceasefire violations by Pakistan have increased. But let everybody be assured that both our Army and BSF, who are respectively guarding the LoC and the International Border, are fully vigilant. “They effectively respond to each violation and I have full faith and the country must have full faith that they are effectively protecting both our territory and national interest,” Jaitley told reporters in Vishakhapatnam. The minister was replying to queries about repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and the International Border on the sidelines of a function to commission the ant-submarine warfare corvette INS Kamorta into the navy. With PTI input