Categorically dismissing Pakistan’s claim, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said earlier yesterday that India is not constructing any wall along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is a story created by Pakistan. There is no wall being constructed…,” BSF Inspector General Rakesh Sharma told reporters, according to the First Post.
The BSF inspector’s statement comes in response to Pakistan’s complaint to the UN Security Council (UNSC) about India’s plans to construct a wall along the Line of Control allegedly to convert it “into a quasi-international border”.
Referring to the difficult terrain, the BSF inspector said, “How can it be constructed and the wall as you know the topographic conditions of the border? It is just not possible to construct a wall.”
Responding to a question why Pakistan was making up the story, Sharma said, “I am also surprised about the wall theory – there is nothing on the ground and it seems to be a story only.”
Further, the BSF IG said the already existing fence was undergoing fortification as part of an ongoing process due to regular wear and tear.
“The repair and upgradation of the border fence is an ongoing process. At several places the fence gets washed away when there is a flood so we have to repair it,” he said.
Last week, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi wrote two letters dated Septmber 4 and September 9 to the UNSC.
In the September 9 letter to UNSC President Vitaly Churkin, Lodhi expressed “deep concern” at the plan by India to construct a 10-metre-high and 135-feet-wide embankment (wall) along the 197km boundary between Jammu & Kashmir and Pakistan.
In the letter, Lodhi said Pakistan “considers the embankment a permanent structure that will bring about a material change in the territory in violation inter alia of Security Council resolution of 1948.
“The state of Jammu & Kashmir is internationally recognised disputed territory with a number of United Nations security council resolutions on the official status of Jammu & Kashmir awaiting implementation,” Lodhi said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters on Thursday that India was aware of the two letters that had been written. The first letter written on September 4 says there is no bilateral dialogue, Swarup said, adding the BSF and Pakistan Rangers have already met.
“So the letter itself has contradicted itself that there is no dialogue. There has been a dialogue,” Swarup said.
