October 4: India on Saturday summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in New Delhi, Saad Warraich, and lodged a protest over what the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called Pakistan’s “continued facilitation of illegal cross-border infiltration”. The step followed Pakistan’s decision the same day to summon India’s chargé d’affaires in Islamabad over the deaths of two men shot by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the international border in Punjab on October 2. India says the men were infiltrators who ignored repeated warnings. Pakistan says they were unarmed civilians.
Key highlights
- Summons: Saad Warraich, Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires, was called to the MEA on October 3, according to PTI.
- India’s account: Three people crossed into Indian territory in the Ferozepur sector and kept moving towards the border fence despite BSF warnings. The MEA said the BSF “was compelled to engage them”.
- Pakistan’s account: Two unarmed civilians were killed and a third was wounded in the Bedian sector near Kasur. Pakistan’s foreign ministry called the firing “unprovoked”.
- Narcotics claim: India says the incident shows a pattern of border crossings by armed narcotics syndicates and has asked Pakistan to investigate the role of its own border forces.
- Verification: Neither account has been independently confirmed.
What India said
According to the PTI report carried by ThePrint, the MEA said three individuals infiltrated into Indian territory and, “despite multiple warnings by BSF to return to Pakistan, continued to move towards the border fence”. The ministry said the BSF was compelled to engage them because they posed “an imminent security threat”.
PTI reported that BSF troops shot dead two suspected Pakistani intruders in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on October 2. Odisha Bytes, citing the Indian account, reported that one of the three turned back towards Pakistan while the other two kept advancing.
The MEA said the incident highlights “a clear pattern of repeated cross-border movement by armed narcotics syndicates operating from Pakistan”, as quoted by The Federal. India “categorically rejected” what it called Pakistan’s “baseless and motivated allegations” about the incident, and urged Pakistan to investigate cross-border infiltration and “the complicity of Pakistan Border Guarding forces therein”.
What Pakistan said
Pakistan’s foreign ministry summoned India’s chargé d’affaires on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported. Its statement said: “The BSF personnel resorted to unprovoked and lethal force against unarmed civilians.” The ministry said two Pakistani civilians were killed and a third was wounded in the Bedian sector along the international border, and it rejected India’s description of the dead as infiltrators.
Pakistan asked India to “conduct an immediate, transparent and credible investigation”, according to Al Jazeera. Pakistan Today reported that Islamabad also sought disciplinary and legal action against the personnel involved, a formal communication of the findings, and steps to prevent a repeat.
Pakistan Today identified the dead as Azmat Rasool and Mohsin Jutt of Ladhar village. Citing Pakistani security sources, it reported that the three men had moved slightly beyond a border pillar and were fired on without warning.
Where the two accounts differ
- Who the men were: India describes them as infiltrators and links the crossing to narcotics syndicates. Pakistan describes them as unarmed civilians.
- Warnings: India says the BSF gave multiple warnings. Pakistani security sources quoted by Pakistan Today say the men were fired on without warning.
- How far they had come: India says they were inside Indian territory and moving towards the fence. The Pakistani sources say they had gone slightly beyond a border pillar.
- Place names: India refers to the Ferozepur sector, and PTI places the shooting in Tarn Taran district. Pakistan refers to the Bedian sector near Kasur. Kasur district in Pakistan lies across the border from this part of Indian Punjab.
The reports reviewed for this article do not include a detailed BSF statement or any list of items recovered from the spot. They also do not say whether India will hold the inquiry that Pakistan has asked for.
Why it matters
Relations between the two countries have remained tense since last year. Al Jazeera noted that an attack in Kashmir in April 2025 killed 26 tourists and led to a four-day military conflict. India blames Pakistan for backing that attack, which Islamabad denies. On both sides, the diplomat summoned on Saturday was the chargé d’affaires.
India has repeatedly raised cross-border terrorism at international forums. Last week it used its right of reply at the UN General Assembly to respond to Pakistan’s prime minister. For the longer background, read our analysis: ten years after the surgical strikes.
Sources
- ThePrint (PTI): India summons Pak CDA to protest Islamabad’s “facilitation” of illegal cross-border infiltration
- The Federal: In tit-for-tat move, India summons Pak envoy over cross-border infiltration
- Al Jazeera: Pakistan, India summon diplomats after two people killed in border incident
- Pakistan Today: Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over killing of two civilians at Kasur border
- Odisha Bytes: India summons Pakistan envoy, blames Islamabad for infiltration
The National Desk covers India's politics, governance, security and public-interest news. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
