Two Pakistani civilians were martyred and another sustained injuries after Indian Border Security Force (BSF) opened unprovoked fire near the Pakistan-India international border in Kasur.
According to the security sources, the three residents of Ladhar village were fired upon after they moved a few steps beyond a border pillar.
The sources said all three were unarmed and had not attempted to cross the border fence.
The deceased were identified as Azmat Rasool Shah and Mohsin Jutt, both residents of Jattan Wali Haveli in Ladhar.
Security sources described the incident as an unprovoked attack and said the firing amounted to a violation of the applicable border agreement and established standard operating procedures (SOPs).
They further alleged that Indian media outlets subsequently portrayed the Pakistani civilians as infiltrators, calling the coverage part of a recurring attempt to present such incidents as false-flag operations.
The reported firing took place a day after Pakistan’s military accused India of staging a false-flag operation involving a former Pakistani soldier in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
To counter the Indian claim that the retired Special Services Group (SSG) commando had been killed during an encounter, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry presented Havildar Muhammad Asif before the media. Asif said he was alive and living in Pakistan.
