Pakistan denies attack on Indian soldiers, says no firing from its side

Pakistan on Tuesday denied that it fired upon Indian Army soldiers and killed five of them in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

"There was no indiscriminate firing from our side," a security official was quoted, as saying. He also rejected alleged reports of a cease-fire violation in the Ramgarh Sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Samba District on Monday.

Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied reports of an exchange of fire on the border between troops of the two countries.

"There was no such incident whatsoever. There was no firing on the border," he was quoted, as saying.

Islamabad's denial came even as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expressed his shock over the cowardly attack and called on the government to take it up the matter at the highest level.

Congress media chief Ajay Maken quoted Gandhi as saying,"Rahul Gandhi has expressed shock and pain at the cowardly killing of five of our jawans by Pakistan...Gandhi also urged the Government to take this provocative act by Pak at the highest level."

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi criticised the UPA Government, saying such attacks were unacceptable.

"From China's intrusions to Pakistan's ambushes- UPA Government has been absolutely lax in securing Indian borders. When will Centre wake up?," Modi tweeted.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of the brave soldiers," he added.

Mohammad Fazl, a former sarpanch of Chakan da Bagh said adults and children were in a huddle last night hearing the firing on the Line of Control.

"It is common here. Last night was an important day in Ramzan month, but we were awake, and we live in fear always," he said.

Other residents pleaded for peace while admitting that firing along the LoC has been regular and habitual.

BJP leader M.Venkiah Naidu called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to immediately make a statement in Parliament on the incident, and urged him to indicate what steps the government was taking to deal with the matter.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad accused Pakistan of being habitual cease-fire offenders, and said that India should stop taking and dealing with Pakistan at face value.

Accusing Pakistan of repeatedly taking advantage of India's friendly approach to ties, Azad reiterated that New Delhi is not all interested in claiming anyone's territory.

Former BJP president Nitin Gadkari said India's borders were unsafe and internal security was under threat.

He urged and appealed to the UPA Government not consider having talks with Pakistan when the country's soldiers were being decapitated and shot along the LoC without reason.

He demanded to know what kind of peace was Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif looking for when on the one hand he was asking for bilateral talks with New Delhi, while on the other, Indian soldiers were being killed. Talks under such circumstances can never and should never take place, he warned.