Rajnath Singh to hold key meeting to review security as Pakistan continues to violate ceasefire along the LoC

With Pakistan refusing to end its constant border provocations, a key security meeting has been called by the government on Monday. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will meet the Home Secretary to discuss ceasefire violations.

Pakistan resorted to unprovoked firing using heavy mortars and machine guns in the Sabziyan and Mandi sectors in Poonch late on Sunday night. Indian troops also retaliated to the firing. No casualties have been reported. Earlier, in ceasefire violations over the weekend, six civilians were killed in Poonch.

Meanwhile, Pakistani High Commissioner Abdul Basit was summoned over the issue to the External Affairs Ministry by Secretary-East Anil Wadhwa on Sunday. After the meeting, Basit said an effective mechanism was required to determine who is engaged in violating ceasefire.

Wadhwa conveyed that the Pakistan government needed to take necessary steps to ensure that the Pakistan military does not undermine peace and tranquillity along the international boundary and the Line of Control.

Basit later passed the buck on India and said that India violated the ceasefire 70 times and maintained that Pakistan was very concerned about it.

Basit was summoned even as the two countries get ready for the first-ever NSA-level talks here on terrorism related issues next week.

National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan - Ajit Doval and Sartaj Aziz - will hold talks on terrorism-related issues for the first time on August 23.

During the talks, India is expected to present strong evidence of terrorism emanating from Pakistan highlighted further by recent attacks in Gurdaspur in Punjab and near Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan violated the ceasefire 192 times along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir till July 26, government had told Lok Sabha.