NEW DELHI: India has concrete evidence that Pakistani Army personnel carried out the mutilation of two Indian soldiers, said Gopal Bagley, external affairs ministry spokesman in a briefing this afternoon.
“We have proof it was carried out by the Pakistan army. We have demanded from Pakistan that whoever from their Army was behind this incident be punished,” Baglay said.
Earlier today, India summoned Pakistan high commissioner Abdul Basit to register a strong protest against the mutilation of the two jawans by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday.
“He of course denied that the Pakistani army was involved, but assured he will convey contents of our demarche to his government. The foreign secretary conveyed India’s sense of outrage at the killing and mutilation of Indian soldiers by Pakistan army personnel. This was an extreme act of provocation,” Baglay said.
When asked about whether India is thinking of revoking ‘most favoured nation’ status to Pakistan, Baglay said it is a WTO obligation that all members have to extend to each other.
“It’s with others also, not just Pakistan,” the MEA spokesman said.
Earlier today, Basit was called in by foreign secretary S Jaishankar to convey India’s strong views on the incident. Basit arrived at the Foreign Ministry headquarters on Raisina Hill in Delhi around noon today and refused to entertain questions from the media.
“Foreign secretary conveyed India’s outrage at the killing and the barbaric act of mutilation of the bodies of the two Indian soldiers on May 1, 2017 by Pakistan Army personnel,” a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
“It was significant that the attack was preceded by covering fire from Pakistani posts in Battal sector… Blood samples of the Indian soldiers that have been collected and the trail of blood on Roza Nala clearly shows that the killers returned across the Line of Control,” it said.
Islamabad has denied the allegations and sought “actionable evidence” from New Delhi to back its claim that two soldiers were beheaded on the Indian side of the Line of Control after a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan army.
Bagley, though, said there’s “no ambiguity in our position, it has been clearly conveyed to our international interlocutors.”
Bureau Report
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