ISLAMABAD, Oct. 09 (DNA): Pakistani officials said Indian shelling on Thursday killed two more civilians, taking the death toll to 12 over the past four days.
Nearly 11 more people were injured in the early morning shelling along the Working Boundary in Sialkot district in Punjab province. All those died and injured are civilian, officials said.
“During last 3 days Indian troops are repeatedly resorting to unprovoked firing all along working boundary and Line of Control,” a military statement said.
“Pakistani troops are befittingly responding to Indian violations. Every fire coming from across LOC or working boundary is being met with an effective response,” it said.
Officials say that all educational institutions in the border regions have been closed because of the continued Indian shelling.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a meeting of the top military and civilian leaders on Friday to discuss the escalations, the Foreign Ministry said.
“The National Security Committee will discuss the recent ceasefire violations by India at the Line of Control and Working Boundary,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Shelling has forced thousands of people along the border to move to safe places, officials and residents say.
Both countries had declared ceasefire in 2003 and the current escalations could pose a threat to the ceasefire. They accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.
Monday saw the heaviest shelling that had left nine people on both sides on a single day, officials in both countries said.
The national security adviser Sartaj Aziz has urged India to observe a ceasefire.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in reported remarks that “everything will be fine soon” on Pakistan border after days of heavy shelling by both sides along the border and line-of-control in Kashmir.
The current escalations could harm efforts to normalise relations between the two uneasy neighbours.
In August India abruptly cancelled talks with Pakistan after accusing it of interfering in India’s internal affairs.
India protested over Pakistan high commissioner’s meeting in Delhi with separatist leaders ahead of the talks.
They had agreed on talks when Nawaz Sharif travelled to Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. DNA
