Pak to probe ceasefire breach

After denying that its troops had violated the four-year-old ceasefire in the Tangdhar sector, Pakistani military authorities have assured the Indian Army that the matter will be investigated.

After denying that its troops had violated the four-year-old ceasefire in the Tangdhar sector, Pakistani military authorities have assured the Indian Army that the matter will be investigated.

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Without any provocation, Pakistani troops had opened light machine gun fire on an Indian post in Tangdhar sector on Tuesday evening. Defence ministry sources said on Thursday that the change in Pakistan’s stand came after the Indian Army confronted Pakistani officials with "photo evidence" at a brigade-level flag meeting held on Wednesday.

The army has categorically maintained that the Tangdhar incident was the first major violation of the November 2003 ceasefire along the line of control. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on Wednesday dubbed the development "worrisome".

The Indian director general of military operations, Lieutenant General AS Sekhon, had earlier lodged a formal protest with his Pakistani counterpart. The incident comes ahead of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s forthcoming visit to Pakistan starting May 21. Defence Minister AK Antony has also expressed concern over the violation of the ceasefire.