Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch, displays camaraderie at Wagah border

AMRITSAR: Ahead of Independence Day celebrations, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers on Sunday exchanged sweets on the Wagah Border displaying camaraderie.   However, the impact of this decade-old tradition seemed to fall flat, as Pakistan opened unprovoked fire on Indian posts this morning and a gunbattle is still underway.   Last year, Indian soldiers decided against the exchange of sweets following the terror attacks by Pakistan in Punjab and Kashmir.   On July 27 2015, three terrorists launched a massive terror attack in the Punjab town of Dinanagar, killing 10 people.   Two BSF soldiers were killed when two terrorists attacked a BSF convoy in Udhampur on August 5. One terrorist was killed, while the other was captured.   Meanwhile, Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day stoked a controversy saying that Pakistan will continue to extend support for the Kashmiris right to self determination.   "Is saal ki Jashn-e-Azadi hum Kashmir ki Azadi ke naam karte hain," he said in an address at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.   However, he asserted that Pakistan has always made efforts to 'improve' its relationship with India.   Basit's statement comes after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said, "there is no power in the world that can take Jammu and Kashmir away from us."   Pakistan Army on Sunday resorted to unprovoked firing on the Indian posts along the Line of Control in Shahpu Kandi area of the border Poonch district in a major ceasefire violation.   The firing began around 3 am in the morning and so far there have been no reports of any injuries or casualties.   There have been 30 ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the Line of Control till July 31 with one casualty from the army side.