KARACHI: A Pakistan military spokesman in Karachi on Friday [April 16] described as “grossly exaggerated” news from certain quarters of “serious violations” of the cease-fire in Kashmir. The reports, he said, have caused little surprise but no concern in Karachi. They are, in fact, without any foundation whatsoever. He discarded as “just a piece of propaganda” an Indian Press report alleging that Pakistan troops had opened fire with light machine-guns and rifles on Indian troops patrolling a forward defended area at Chor Kunjian, five miles south-east of Tithwal. He added that neither the UNCIP nor its Military Adviser, Lt. Gen Delvoie, had brought anything to the notice of the Pakistan Government or the Pakistan Army GHQ about this particular incident or similar allegations in the past.

The reason for the latest allegation, the spokesman said, is simple. “Propaganda is quite different from facts. After all the trouble UN has taken to send out observers to both sides, it is … remarkable that these serious violations should have gone unnoticed all this time.” The spokesman also pointed out that such propaganda was being systematically carried out by India for some days past, but there was no truth in these allegations. — News agencies

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2024