Two civilians shot dead at the border: Pakistan summons Indian envoy, demands transparent probe

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan summoned India's chargé d'affaires on Saturday to lodge a "strong protest" over the killing of two Pakistani civilians by Indian Border Security Force personnel along the International Border a day earlier. According to a statement from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BSF personnel resorted to "unprovoked lethal force" against unarmed civilians in the Bedian Sector on October 2, near Kasur. Geo News identified the two dead as Azmat Rasool Shah and Mohsin Jutt, residents of Jattan Wali Haveli in Ladhar. A third civilian was injured in the firing. Pakistan called the use of force "wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate, resulting in the tragic loss of two precious lives", and categorically rejected any attempt to mischaracterise the deceased as "infiltrators". Pakistani security sources quoted in local media said the three civilians were unarmed and were targeted without warning after moving only a few steps beyond a border pillar, and had not attempted to cross the border fence. The Foreign Office underscored that the incident constituted a serious violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, and raised serious concerns regarding the protection of civilian life under international law. Islamabad called on India to conduct an "immediate, transparent and credible investigation" into the incident, take appropriate disciplinary and legal action against those found responsible, and formally communicate the findings and action taken to the Government of Pakistan. It further urged India to ensure respect for fundamental human rights and international law, strictly observe relevant bilateral arrangements and established border procedures, exercise maximum restraint in dealing with such situations, and take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Reuters confirmed that the summoning took place on Saturday morning in Islamabad. There was no immediate public response from New Delhi on the allegations as the reports emerged, and the Indian version of events had not been detailed in the accounts available at the time of writing. Cross-border firings and civilian casualties along the India–Pakistan frontier have repeatedly strained the fraught relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, and each fresh incident risks undoing months of relative calm along the border.