The Hindu : Unarmed soldier killed, says Pak.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 23, 2002

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Unarmed soldier killed, says Pak.

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD June 22. Pakistan has accused the Indian forces of capturing and killing an unarmed Pakistani soldier in the no man's land between the two countries on June 19.

Addressing a news conference here, the Press Secretary to the Pakistan President, Rashid Quereshi, sought an inquiry into incident and said the tension triggered by the incident could "snowball".

``Frankly, after the incident it could be difficult to control troops in their response. This could spark off a snowball effect nobody will be able to control. I think in the name of humanity, the world must ask India to carry out an inquiry and punish those responsible for this'', he told a news conference.

The two Indian correspondents here were not invited for the press meet.

India rejects charge

PTI reports:

The Defence Ministry tonight rejected a Pakistan charge that the Indian Army had tortured and killed one of its soldiers, Lance Corporal Naik Maqsood, a member of the paramilitary Pakistan Rangers, who had strayed into the Indian side of the border.

``There is no question of any torture,'' a Ministry spokesman said.

Asserting that the Pakistani soldier had tried to infiltrate into India and was killed during an encounter, the spokesman said an Assistant Commandant of the Border Security Force, Sumer Singh, was also killed in the clash.

The body of the Pakistani soldier was handed over at a flag meeting on Thursday, he said.

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