Pakistan violated ceasefire more than 1000 times in 2018 : Govt

Pakistan violated ceasefire more than 1000 times in 2018 : Govt

Even as the Indian forces are maintaining a ceasefire against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir and border truce with Pakistan, there have have been over 1,000 violations from the Pakistani side of the 2003 ceasefire agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad in 2018 alone, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.

“We always taken it very strongly, this matter of unprovoked ceasefire violation with the Pakistani side as it involves loss of life and property,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing. 

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said ceasefire violations were being used by Pakistan to aid infiltration of terrorists. 

Whenever there is an unprovoked attack on the borders, the matter is taken very strongly with the Pakistani side as it involves loss of life and property, he said. 

“In 2018 alone, there have been more than 1,000 cases of ceasefire violation by Pakistan. We have maintained that the ceasefire violation by Pakistan is used as a cover to infiltrate terrorists into our territory and we have seen the results of such infiltrations in the past. We hope that Pakistan will realise what it is doing and adherers to the 2003 ceasefire agreement between the two countries in this matter,” he said in response to a question. 

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His reaction comes in the backdrop of a militant attack, in which two soldiers were injured while on a patrol near the Line of Control in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir today. 

India announced a ceasefire against militants in Jammu and Kashmir and a border truce with Pakistan on May 16 for the ongoing holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

However, unprovoked ceasefire violations continued from the Pakistani side during this period.

On Tuesday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir will honour the Ramadan ceasefire and the border truce with Pakistan but any “unprovoked” attack won’t go unanswered. 

“When it is an unprovoked attack, the Army was given the right to retaliate. We honour the ceasefire but, of course, a margin was given to us when it is an unprovoked attack. The ceasefire is the government of India decision and we abide by it,” Sitharaman told reporters here. 

The border shooting has claimed 36 lives on the Indian side and left more than 120 injured this year.