Pakistan Rangers, deployed along the international border with India, arrested six Indian nationals inside Pakistani territory from July 29-Aug. 3, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the military’s media wing said the Indians were attempting to smuggle “narcotics, weapons and ammunition” into Pakistan when they were taken into custody. “It shows likely complicity of BSF [Border Security Force] troops in narco[tics] and weapons smuggling,” it said. “In addition, it is also surprising that Indian BSF troops have so far failed to report six missing citizens,” it added.
According to the ISPR, four of the smugglers—Guldeep Sindh, Shinder Singh, Junginder Singh, Vishal—hailed from India’s Ferozpur, while Rattan Pal Singh is from Jalandhar and Garvender Singh from Ludhiana. “These Indian smugglers will be dealt as per law of the land for illegally entering into Pakistan and indulging in nefarious activities,” read the statement, adding that Pakistan’s security forces “will continue to maintain vigil and expect that Indian BSF will act professionally and sever their ties with smuggling rackets operating from their territory.”
A day earlier, the ISPR had said that the Indian Army had violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) for a second time in as many months. In a statement, it said firing from Indian troops had martyred a 60-year-old villager in Azad Jammu and Kashmir working in a farm-field. Three women had also been “traumatized” while they were cutting grass in the fields, it said. Describing the attack as “blatant Indian aggression,” the ISPR said it was in clear violation of the existing ceasefire understandings.
“Pakistan desires peace and tranquility at its borders, however, all necessary measures will be taken to protect the life and property of our citizens,” it said. “Any misadventure against the people of Pakistan will be befittingly responded at the time and place of our choosing,” it warned.