Pakistan denies Indian claims of two terrorists' arrest

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistani army has rejected Indian army's claim on arrest of two terrorists who had entered from Azad Kashmir, and has termed it an attempt to prepare grounds for a false flag operation.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), a media-wing of Pakistan army, said the Indian army and media projected two Pakistanis who had inadvertently crossed Line of Control (LOC) on August 21 as terrorists, which is an attempt to fabricate facts.

LoC, a de facto border, divides Kashmir valley between Pakistan and India.

"On August 21, 2019 two local farmers of AJK [Azad Jammu and Kashmir] Muhammad Nazeem s/o Arif Hussain, 21 yrs old, and Khalil Ahmed s/o Abdul Aziz, 30 yrs old, inadvertently crossed LOC near Hajipir while they had gone for grass cutting," ISPR said.

On August 27 the incident was discussed by military authorities during weekly hotline contact and Indian authorities had acknowledged and informed that routine legal formalities are taking place and they shall get back on that account, the Pakistani military statement added.

On Wednesday Indian army claimed that they have arrested two Pakistani nationals along the LoC and labeled them as "terrorists".

“Two Pakistani citizens, who belong to proscribed terrorist outfit LeT [Lashkar-e-Taiba], were apprehended by Indian army,” Lt. Gen. KJS Dhillon told a news conference in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

However, Pakistani army said that on September 3, the Indian authorities were once again informed during weekly hotline contact about Indian media story despite prior exchange of information and facts.

"It was assured by Indian side that due legal process was in place and outcome will be shared with Pakistani authorities. In complete disregard to formal sharing on the incident a false and fabricated story was presented by Indian Army during a presser on September 4 portraying the individuals as terrorists,'' Pakistani army lamented.

Pakistani army also accused the Indian authorities of forcing the apprehended inadvertent crossers to give confessional statement under duress of Indian Army that they were trained in Pakistan and belonged to Rawalpindi despite both individuals are inadvertent crossers, local farmers and resident of Village Terraban (Hillan) along LOC and not Rawalpindi.

Pakistan also warned that the attempt is another Indian effort to prepare grounds for a false flag operation and Islamabad will take up formal case based on evidence to expose indian lies.

Tensions across the LoC heightened in recent weeks after the Indian government scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 5.

Since then, the Muslim-majority region has been under a near-complete lockdown as the government has blocked communication and imposed strict restrictions to thwart any rebellion, while political leaders in the region have been detained.

Several rights group including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly called on New Delhi to lift the restrictions and release political detainees.

However, Indian authorities have claimed this week that 90% of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir is free of daytime restrictions.

From 1954 until this Aug. 5, Jammu and Kashmir had special provisions under which it enacted its own laws. The provisions also protected the region's citizenship law, which barred outsiders from settling in and owning land in the territory.

India and Pakistan both hold Kashmir in parts and claim it in full. China also controls part of the contested region, but it is India and Pakistan who have fought two wars over Kashmir.