Pak Rangers refusing to take protest notes resulting in no communication: BSF

Jammu: Pakistani troops were not accepting protest notes from India over ceasefire violations resulting in "no communication" between the two sides, the Border Security Force said on Tuesday.

Director General of BSF, D K Pathak asserted that India wants peace along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir but will retaliate strongly if fired upon.

"The last communication regarding flag meeting (to de-escalate the tension) that we had was on January 1, when their sector command, their nodal officer spoke to our nodal officer and we talked about four-five times. Thereafter there has been no communication", Pathak told reporters.

The DG also paid floral tributes here at a wreath-laying ceremony of martyr Jawan Devinder Singh, who died in a cross-border shelling on Khawara post along the Samba sector on Monday.

"On January 3, when we went to deliver protest note through established mechanism, they refused to accept.

Thereafter, we had a protest note delivered through Wagah border (in Punjab sector). Now they are not even accepting protest note at Wagah too. Since January 4 onwards, there is no communication", he said.

On the statement of Pakistan Defence Minister saying "they (Pakistan) are trying to maintain peace on border, but India is showing tough posture", the DG said "I have nothing to comment on the statement of Defence Minister of Pakistan.

"But what we can say that what we always want that there should be peace on the border. That is best situation to happen on the border. We on our side will never do anything to disturb peace on the border, but anybody disturbs the peace, we will retaliate".

"As I said the prevalence of peace is best situation to happen. But if Pakistan does not want-- if Rangers do not want (peace to prevail on IB), what can we do".

"It is not that population of civilians from outside has only been dislodged, in fact the population on there side has also been dislodged. So it not a happy situation. We would like the restoration of normalcy as fast and as soon as possible", he said.

"But I still reiterate that we never initiate the fire. We will definitely respond, when we are fired at and when our civilians are fired at," he said, adding that it cannot happen one-sided.

On the situation along the border, Pathak said " Since 31st night, intermittent firing has been going on from the Pak side. 31st night was heavy firing. Presently last night there was some firing but after mid-night, there has been no firing."

Pakistani troops targeted over 60 hamlets and scores of border posts in heavy overnight shelling in Kathua and Samba districts, with mortar bombs landing deep inside Indian territory.