International

Pak. forces on 'full alert'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 21. Pakistan today accused Indian forces of killing three more persons in ``unprovoked and indiscriminate'' firing for the fifth consecutive day, even as it asserted that its forces were fully alert and ready to respond to any ``misadventure from across the eastern border''.

The Pakistan Defence Secretary, Hamid Nawaz, told correspondents here that "our defence forces are fully prepared and ready to thwart any aggression from across the border and any such attempt will receive a befitting response''.

``Pakistan being a peace loving country has always been pleading to seek solution of the problem through dialogue instead of going for any extreme option like war,'' he said. ``We are not anticipating a war,'' he said. It was India that had escalated tension by forcing its troops on the common borders and as a retaliatory step Pakistan had deployed its troops. "It is better that they (India) be asked what their future plans or anticipation about the war are.''

To a question on the deployment of Pakistani troops along the western borders to check infiltration of unwanted elements from Afghanistan, he said these forces would have to be withdrawn in case the situation worsened on the eastern borders.

A press statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) alleged that the Indian Army continued ``indiscriminate and unprovoked firing'' and shelling across the Line of Control and International Border ``aimed at further escalating the already tense situation for the fifth day''.

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