Meeting between India and Pakistan comes to naught on border issues
An Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers patrols along the border fence at an outpost along the India-Pakistan border in Suchit-Garh, 36 kms southwest of Jammu on January 11, 2013. Pakistan summoned the Indian ambassador to protest against “unacceptable and unprovoked” attacks by the Indian army that killed two Pakistani soldiers in five days in Kashmir.
Indian and Pakistani commanders held a flat meeting today at the Line of Control border near Poonch — but as The Hindu reports, little appears to have come of the 15-minute-long sit down.
The Brigadier level flag meeting was held at the Chakan de Bagh crossing, and was led by 10th Brigade commander T S Sandhu on the Indian side, according to the Times of India.
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India claims that Pakistani soldiers killed two soldiers at the Kashmir Line of Control last week, beheading one of the men during the attack, and also claims that Pakistani forces continue to violate the border.
The Hindu writes that Sandhu conveyed the message that India reserved the "right to retaliate" against Pakistan until a public apology was made.
He also requested that the head of the dead soldier be returned, as well as weapons taken from the two dead men.
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Pakistan has summarily rejected all of India's allegations that it had attacked a Indian post, killed soldiers, or fired without provocation on the Indian side, wrote The Nation.
The Pakistani government has closed both trade and travel at the Chakan de Bagh border crossing, added the Times of India.
According to Xinhua, Pakistani defense officials in turn lodged a complaint with the Indian military today, claiming that India has continued to violate the border, and killed two Pakistani soldiers last week in Kashmir.
Both India and Pakistan have access to nuclear arms, a reality that has caused the world to pay close attention to the state of relations between the two South Asian powers.