India summons Pak envoy, lodges strong protest over 'unprovoked' firing

Taking a serious view of recent incidents of grave and unprovoked firing from Pakistani side, India today summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Rifat Masood to lodge a strong protest and press for steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

Taking a serious view of recent incidents of "grave" and "unprovoked" firing from Pakistani side, India today summoned Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner Rifat Masood to lodge a "strong" protest and press for steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

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Masood was summoned by YK Sinha, Joint Secretary (Pakistan) in the External Affairs Ministry, and a protest note handed over to her over the repeated ceasefire violations.

"A strong protest was conveyed over incidents of grave and unprovoked firing across the International Border by Pakistan, including the firing of rockets in Amritsar sector of the International Border on the night of January 8-9, 2010," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.

India asked "Pakistan to take all necessary steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents," Prakash said.

There have been several incidents of firing and shelling from Pakistani side along the Line of Control and International Border over the last one month.

In one such case, Pakistani forces fired six rockets in villages around the Attari border in Punjab on January nine.
India sees these incidents as an attempt to give cover to terrorists infiltrating to this side.