India and Pakistan Summon Diplomats Over BSF Border Killings
India and Pakistan summoned each other's senior diplomatic representatives on Saturday following a border shooting in Punjab's Tarn Taran district that left two Pakistani men dead. The incident occurred on Friday morning along the international border, where the Border Security Force reported spotting three individuals crossing from the Pakistani side through paddy fields and ignoring multiple warnings to return.
The BSF engaged three individuals who infiltrated Indian territory after they continued moving toward the border fence despite multiple warnings to return.
According to Akashvani News (All India Radio), india and Pakistan share a 553-kilometer international border along Punjab guarded by the Border Security Force.
Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Indian charge d'affaires in Islamabad to protest what it termed unprovoked and lethal force against unarmed civilians. Later in the evening, New Delhi responded by summoning Pakistan's charge d'affaires to reject the protest and raise concerns regarding ongoing cross-border security challenges.
According to The Hindu, pakistan's foreign ministry formally demanded that the Indian government investigate the incident, enact disciplinary and legal action, and formally convey the findings to Islamabad.
Diplomatic Protests and Conflicting Accounts
According to the Border Security Force, personnel opened fire after the group ignored repeated verbal warnings and continued advancing toward the border fencing. Pakistani authorities identified the deceased men as 20-year-old Azmat Shah and 22-year-old Mohsin Habibullah, stating both hailed from the border village of Ladhar on the Pakistani side of Punjab. Islamabad demanded an immediate, transparent, and credible investigation into the incident, insisting that the victims were civilians rather than infiltrators.
In contrast, New Delhi maintained that the incident exposed a broader pattern of illegal cross-border movement linked to armed narcotics syndicates operating from Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs urged Islamabad to investigate network complicity among border guarding forces and take remedial steps to prevent unauthorized crossings.
Repatriation and Wider Bilateral Context
Following the completion of necessary post-mortem procedures, BSF officials confirmed that the bodies of the two men were handed over to Pakistani Rangers across the border on Saturday. The exchange took place amid heightened diplomatic sensitivities between the two nations, whose diplomatic missions have remained headed by charges d'affaires since both countries downgraded their formal ties and recalled their respective High Commissioners in 2019.
The diplomatic fallout follows months of frozen bilateral channels, exacerbated by regional security disputes and periodic skirmishes along the frontier. Both capitals reiterated competing demands during Saturday's diplomatic exchanges, with Pakistan urging adherence to established border procedures and maximum restraint, while India pressed for rigorous enforcement against unauthorized transit and smuggling syndicates.