Row Over Drone, Ceasefire Violations: Top Ministers Meet on Pakistan

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 16, 2015:  Top union ministers met today to discuss Pakistan hours after it summoned India’s envoy after claiming to have shot down an Indian "spy plane" for intruding into its territory. The allegation, which the Indian army has denied, and a series of ceasefire violations have disconcerted New Delhi days after "breakthrough" announcements after talks between the prime ministers in Russia.

 

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met to discuss the situation at the border.
   
Pakistan summoned the Indian envoy this morning and lodged a protest after saying it had shot down an Indian "spy" drone, a claim that has been denied by New Delhi.
   
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aijaz Ahmed Chaudhary protested against "cross-border firing by India" and also claimed that an Indian spy plane had been shot down for violation of "Pakistan’s territorial integrity"
   
High Commissioner TCA Raghavan denied that the drone was Indian, and asserted that it was Pakistan that fired first at the border.
   
The Pakistan army alleges that India was using the drone for aerial photography near the Line of Control and it was shot down in the Bhimber area of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir for "violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity."
   
The claim has been questioned because the drone does not appear to be of the kind used by India. Indian officials say the drone is used for highway patrolling, and could have belonged to the police of Pakistan’s Punjab province.
   
Indian government sources called it a "strange coincidence that Pakistan claimed it shot down an Indian drone soon after the violation" on Wednesday.
   
A woman was killed and six, including two soldiers, were injured in heavy firing from across the border in Jammu’s Akhnoor sector. In more firing this morning in Jammu, three villagers have been injured at the RS Pura sector.
   
The ceasefire violations come just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu on Friday.
   
Last week, PM Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif held talks on the sidelines of a regional conference in Ufa in Russia. As part of breakthrough announcements after the talks, the two countries decided to arrange meetings of senior military officials to reduce tension along the border.

 

 

Courtesy: NDTV