Two unarmed Pakistani civilians were killed and a third was injured on Friday when India’s Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire near the international border in Kasur district, Punjab. Pakistani security sources said the men had only moved a few steps beyond a border pillar and had not attempted to cross the fence.
Background
The incident took place near Ladhar village, close to the Pakistan-India international border in Kasur. It occurred a day after Islamabad publicly disputed an Indian claim that its forces had killed a former Pakistani soldier allegedly linked to a militant group in Kashmir, with Pakistan’s military presenting the soldier alive at a news conference, according to Arab News Pakistan.
Border districts like Kasur see frequent movement of local farmers and residents working close to the fence line, and firing incidents in the area have periodically strained relations between the two neighbouring countries.
Details
According to Pakistani security sources cited by multiple outlets including The Express Tribune and ARY News, three residents of Ladhar village had moved only a short distance beyond a border pillar when BSF personnel opened fire on them without warning. The firing left two men dead and a third wounded.
The deceased were identified as Azmat Rasool, son of Attaullah, and Mohsin Jutt, both residents of Jattan Wali Haveli in Ladhar, according to Radio Pakistan and other local reports. The third man, who was injured in the firing, was not publicly named in available reports.
Pakistani sources maintained that all three men were unarmed and that none of them had attempted to cross the border fence at any point. Indian media, citing BSF and other official sources, offered a different version of events, describing the men as suspected infiltrators attempting to cross into Indian territory.
Quotes
Pakistani security sources, speaking to multiple local outlets, described the firing as “unprovoked” and said it amounted to a clear breach of the border agreement and standard operating procedures that govern the international frontier. The accounts from Pakistani and Indian sources remain in direct conflict, with Islamabad rejecting the Indian characterisation of the men as infiltrators. arynews
Impact
The incident adds further strain to an already tense relationship along the Pakistan-India border, coming just a day after a separate dispute over Indian claims regarding a Pakistani national in Kashmir. Repeated firing incidents of this kind tend to heighten mistrust between the two militaries and can complicate efforts at de-escalation in sensitive border districts.
For residents of border villages like Ladhar, such incidents also raise immediate safety concerns, since many locals work and move near the fence line as part of daily agricultural and household routines.
Conclusion
Pakistani authorities are expected to raise the incident through official channels, as has happened in similar past cases involving civilian casualties along the border. Whether the conflicting accounts from Islamabad and New Delhi are resolved, or whether the incident leads to a formal protest or inquiry, will likely become clearer in the coming days as both sides respond publicly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened near Kasur?
On Friday, three residents of Ladhar village in Pakistan’s Kasur district were reportedly fired upon by India’s Border Security Force near the international border. Pakistani security sources said the men had moved only a few steps beyond a border pillar and had not crossed the border fence when BSF personnel opened fire without warning. Two of the men were killed in the firing, while the third sustained injuries. Pakistani officials described the shooting as unprovoked and said it violated the standing border agreement and standard operating procedures between the two countries, though Indian media offered a different account of the circumstances.
Who was involved in the Kasur firing incident?
The incident involved three unarmed residents of Ladhar village, located near the Pakistan-India international border in Kasur district, Punjab, and personnel from India’s Border Security Force (BSF) stationed along the frontier. The two Pakistani men who died were identified by Pakistani sources as Azmat Rasool, son of Attaullah, and Mohsin Jutt, both residents of Jattan Wali Haveli in Ladhar. The identity of the third, injured man has not been made public in available reports. Indian sources have not confirmed the identities of the BSF personnel involved, and official statements from New Delhi on the specifics of the incident remain limited.
How many Pakistanis were killed in the incident?
Two Pakistani civilians were killed in the firing, and a third person was injured. All three men were described by Pakistani security sources as unarmed local residents who had not attempted to cross the border fence at the time of the shooting. This account has been consistently reported across multiple Pakistani outlets, including The Express Tribune, ARY News, Aaj English, and Radio Pakistan, even as Indian media presented a differing narrative describing the men as suspected infiltrators rather than uninvolved civilians.
