AMN / JAMMU
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday informed that Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire agreement with India 834 times on the international border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in three years, which claimed 97 lives and injuring 383 others.
In reply to a written question by a ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator in the upper house of the bicameral legislature, she said those who died included 41 civilians and 56 security personnel.
Of the total ceasefire violations, 379 took place in 2017, 233 in 2016 and 222 in 2015.
Giving details of the civilians killed in Pakistani shelling and firing, the Chief Minister said 12 people were killed in 2017, 13 in 2016 and 16 in 2015.
Of the 383 injured, 233 were civilians and 150 security personnel.
The issue of heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan forces along the Line of Control and subsequent Army personel killings’ rocked the J&K Assembly today.
The issue led to the complete pandemonium and adjournment of the house. The Opposition National Conference, NC and Congress MLAs trooped into the well of the Assembly criticizing the PDP-BJP government over Army’s casualties on the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan’s shelling.
The coalition partner BJP was targeted by the NC and Congress members for the alleged failure in safeguarding the lives of those living along the International Border and the LoC.
The opposition members alleged that both the coalition partners lacked unanimity on the issue as BJP has been emphasizing the construction of bunkers for the border people, while PDP advocating the improvement in Indo-Pak relations.
Condemning the neighbouring country, for frequent ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border, BJP MLAs raised anti-Pakistan slogans.
However, the State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri assured the opposition that their concerns are quite genuine and the government would come up with the answer. Speaker ordered the adjournment of the house for sometime after member continued the ruckus.