Trail of blood leads to Pak.: India

Abdul Basit summoned by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar

May 03, 2017 12:54 pm | Updated December 03, 2021 05:20 pm IST - New Delhi

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in an interaction with The Hindu in New Delhi on December 1, 2016.

Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit in an interaction with The Hindu in New Delhi on December 1, 2016.

Hitting out at the Pakistan military for the killing and mutilation of two soldiers on May 1, India on Wednesday summoned the Pakistan High Commissioner, Abdul Basit. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the incident as a “strong act of provocation” and claimed that evidences on the ground confirm the attackers came from Pakistan.

“Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of two Indian soldiers on 1 May 2017,” a statement from the MEA said. The MEA said the Pakistani army supported the attack by providing covering fire to the assaulting team. “It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector (in vicinity of village Battal). Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control,” the statement said.

Enough evidence

India also conveyed to the Pakistan High Commissioner that it has “enough evidence” that shows Pakistani soldiers crossed the Line of Control at the Krishna Ghati sector and carried out the attack.

 

“In the brief meeting with the High Commissioner, it was conveyed that the government considers it a strong act of provocation and in contravention of all norms of civilised conduct. And the government demanded that Pakistan take immediate action against its soldiers and commanders against this heinous act,” said MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay.

Sources indicated that the trail of blood is a clear sign that the severed heads of the Indian soldiers were taken across the LoC to Pakistan. The government had warned earlier that the killing and mutilation of the soldiers would be appropriately dealt with.

However, the MEA refused to specify what diplomatic steps would be taken to deter Pakistan-based elements from carrying out similar attacks and urged media not to speculate on measures India would take in response.

Meanwhile, India has cancelled visas for a delegation of Pakistani students who were to participate in a student exchange programme on behalf of Delhi-based NGO, Routes2Roots. “The Ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on May 1,” Mr Baglay said.

The students who had reached India on 1 May were scheduled to travel to Agra and interact with Indian students when they were informed about the visa cancellation.

Similarly, India denied visas to Pakistan’s squash and wrestling teams that were to participate in the Asian Championship between May 10-14.

“Terrorism and sports can’t go along and Pakistan should understand that. The relation between India and Pakistan can be cordial only after Pakistan stops sponsoring cross border terrorism,” Sports Minister Vijay Goel told reporters.

"India takes these things very seriously. We are not at loss, our decision to stop bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan will force Pakistani people to put pressure on their government to act against terrorism. The entire world knows Pakistan is sponsoring terrorism," he added.

However, despite the escalating war of words following the May 1 incident which took place when India was hosting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, the government maintained that the problem in Jammu and Kashmir remains a bilateral issue. “There is no ambiguity about that,” the spokesperson clarified when asked about international opinion about the Kashmir issue.

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