Pakistan protests after BSF shooting kills two near Punjab border
Pakistan summoned India’s Chargé d’Affaires and lodged a formal protest after two men were shot dead near the International Border in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. Indian officials described the men as suspected intruders who ignored warnings, while Pakistan said they were unarmed civilians who crossed the border inadvertently.
Pakistan summoned India’s Chargé d’Affaires on Saturday to protest the killing of two men by India’s Border Security Force near the International Border in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. The incident occurred on Friday, when BSF troops shot two suspected Pakistani intruders, according to Indian officials. Tarn Taran Deputy Superintendent of Police Atul Soni said three people were moving towards the Indian side and that one later returned to Pakistan.
Soni said the other two continued advancing despite warnings from BSF personnel to turn back. He added that, according to a BSF sentry, the men provoked the troops and said they wanted to enter Indian territory. The BSF then opened fire, killing them, he said.
The identities of the two dead men were still being established, according to the Indian account. Senior BSF officers visited the site. Punjab shares a 553-kilometre border with Pakistan.
Pakistan rejected the description of the men as intruders. Its officials said they were civilians visiting the border who had crossed the International Border inadvertently. The Pakistan Foreign Office said the Indian diplomat was summoned to lodge a strong protest over what it described as the killing of civilians.
The Foreign Office alleged that BSF personnel had used unprovoked and disproportionate lethal force against unarmed people. It said the incident raised concerns about the right to life and civilian protection under international law. Pakistan called for an immediate, transparent and credible investigation.
It also demanded disciplinary and legal action against anyone found responsible and asked India to formally communicate the findings and steps taken. The two governments therefore offered conflicting accounts of the incident: India said the men were suspected intruders who ignored warnings, while Pakistan said they were civilians who crossed unintentionally. The source material does not report an Indian government response to Pakistan’s protest.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.