'Pakistan only responds to Indian firing'

Director General Punjab Rangers Major General Khan Tahir Javed said Friday that Pakistan was only responding to unprovoked shelling by Indian security forces from across the frontier.

In a detailed briefing at the frontier, he said that Indian forces started unprovoked mortar shelling and firing in the last week of August, The Nation reported.

He said that India fired a large number of mortars, adding in the last four years, the Indian Border Security Force had so far fired 8,683 shells.

"We only respond to Indian shelling," he reiterated while rejecting Indian reports Pakistan was digging trenches along the frontier.

The shelling has intensified during the last four days in which over 13 Pakistanis have been killed.

As a precautionary measure, at least 31 villages have been evacuated in Zafarwal and Shakargarh.