India’s border violations to get befitting response: Gen Raheel

RAWALPINDI: The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, on Thursday said repeated Indian ceasefire violations on the Working Boundary and the Line of Control (LoC) in the recent past were distractions for Pakistan from its campaign against terrorism and adversely affected regional stability.
During his visit to the Sialkot Garrison and forward locations on the Working Boundary, Gen Raheel said: “Let there be no doubt that any provocation along the Line of Control and Working Boundary will get a befitting response.”
Speaking to troops, the COAS appreciated their high state of morale and operational preparedness on the frontline.According to the ISPR, the COAS was given a detailed briefing by local commanders on the prevailing security situation at the Working Boundary.
General Raheel Sharif also visited towns and villages affected by the unprovoked Indian firing along the Working Boundary. Expressing solidarity withthe affected villagers, the COAS praised their resilience and spirit. He said the entire nation stood united along with its armed forces while defending the motherland.
Earlier on arrival at Sialkot, Lt Gen Ghayyur Mehmood, Corps Commander, received the COAS.Pakistan and India, which have fought two of their three wars over the disputed Muslim-majority Indian Held Kashmir, have traded blame for an upsurge in firing and shelling which started in October last year.
US Secretary of State John Kerry last month appealed to both nations to resume talks, saying Washington was “deeply concerned” about a surge in violence on the border in Kashmir.Exchanges of fire across their de facto border and undisputed border further south have killed more than two dozen civilians and forced thousands to flee their homes on both sides.
Given the tension between the two nations at the LoC and the cancellation of a similar previously scheduled meeting, the upcoming talks will be significant in defining the relations between the two neighbours.