India honours ceasefire, but won't hold back if Pakistan provoked: Nirmala Sitharaman

In wake of continuous shelling and firing from across the border, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday gave a stern warning to Pakistan, saying that though India honours ceasefire agreement, it will not hold back if the neighbouring country provoked.

“When it is an unprovoked attack the Army was given the right to retaliate. We honour the ceasefire but of course, a margin was given to us when there is an unprovoked attack,” Sitharaman said in press conference in Delhi.

The defence minister’s statement came after fresh firing from Pakistan in Nambh and Sher village areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera sector on Tuesday morning.

On being asked whether India will reach out to Pakistan for talks amid the restraint shown by the central government in Kashmir in the month of holy Ramzan, she said, “Terror and talks cannot go hand in hand.”

In May 2018, hundreds of people living along the international border and Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir had to leave their homes due the intermittent firing and shelling from Pakistani rangers.

Till May 31 this year, there were 1,252 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan, which left at least 12 people, including two BSF jawans and an infant, dead and scores others injured.