A Pakistani Ranger, a member of the country's paramilitary force, has been detained by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan, sources said on Saturday.
The development comes days after a BSF jawan was detained by Pakistani Rangers after he accidentally crossed the border, as tensions between the two countries run high following the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
The Pakistani Ranger has been taken into custody by the Rajasthan Frontier of the BSF, sources said. Officials have not disclosed the identity of the detained Ranger or the specific circumstances leading to his capture.
On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attacks, a BSF jawan, Purnam Kumar Shaw, was detained by the Pakistani forces along the international border in Punjab. Despite strong protests from the Indian side, Pakistan has refused to release him, even though such incidents, from either side, are typically resolved in a single flag meeting.
The BSF has launched an enquiry into the detention of Shaw and a formal protest note has been sent to the Pakistan Rangers. However, they have remained "non-committal" regarding the constable’s whereabouts or the timeline for his return.
Despite multiple flag meetings held between the two sides, there has been no definitive assurance from Pakistan.
Efforts are on to secure his release. Possibly the Pakistani establishment is weighing its options given the current state of situation between the two countries in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Earlier such inadvertent crossings on either side were resolved quickly," a senior officer had told news agency PTI.
Pak social media accounts have shared photos of Shaw, showing him blindfolded while seated in a vehicle, and later standing under a tree with his rifle, loaded magazine, belt, and other belongings laid out on the ground, according to officials.
Following the incident, the BSF has issued a strict advisory to its personnel, urging heightened vigilance while on duty, particularly in light of the increased tensions between India and Pakistan. Jawans have been asked to be extra cautious and avoid inadvertently crossing the border during patrol duty. Even the farmers working on farms at the borders have been asked to be vigilant, according to officials.
A group of Pakistan-based terrorists opened fire on civilians in the Bairsan Valley, a tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, on April 22, killing 26 people. India, accusing Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism, responded strongly with a series of punitive measures, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, cancellation of visas, suspension of trade, a ban on airspace usage, and restrictions on exports, among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after holding a high-level meeting with defence and security officials, granted the Indian Armed Forces full operational freedom to respond to the Pahalgam attack
Source: India Today