CHAKU POST (LINE OF CONTROL), APRIL 12: The involvement of Pakistan Army regulars in the proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir was established with the Pakistan Army accepting the bodies of two soldiers killed while trying to infiltrate into India.The Line of Control (LoC) was tense on Sunday when Pakistan Army sent a platoon strength to recover the bodies of two soldiers, killed while trying to infiltrate into India near the Krishna Ghati sector, Poonch three nights ago."This is the result of the Lahore declaration. And this is also the first time that Pakistan has acknowledged that it's regular Army troops are in Jammu and Kashmir. Of course the Pakistan Army claims its troops had strayed into Indian territory," said Brig Vinodh Mani, Commander, Krishna Ghati Brigade.The two dead Pakistan Army soldiers have been identified as Naik Subedar Faiz and Naik Mohammad Iqbal. Pakistan has acknowledged that the troops were theirs and agreed to a point near the LoC to take back the troops. And according to theagreement a Pakistan Army captain loading a platoon of some 25 soldiers reached the pre-determined area near the Indian post "Chaku" across the LoC.Though both Indian and Pakistani troops put up white flags, there was high drama as a large number of villagers from Jwara in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) gathered to witness the handing over of bodies. "Please wear your steel helmets, they may fire in anger despite the white flag," Army officers on the Chaku Post kept repeating.A maulvi was summoned from Poonch city earlier in the day to carry out the rituals. Colonel M P Singh, commanding officer of the unit stationed at the LoC said that both the Pakistan Army soldiers were trying to infiltrate into India on the night of April 7. "It seems that they stepped on a landmine placed there by our troops to prevent infiltration. One soldier's leg was ripped apart. And hearing the mine blast our troops opened fire. The next morning we went to the LoC and found them both dead," he said.The Army menwent through their belongings. An automatic rifle and some live cartridges were recovered from their possession. Papers found on their person suggested that they were Pakistan Army soldiers, hailing from the Eighth Baluch regiment. The Army contacted their Pakistani counterparts on mega phone and the Pakistan Army agreed to take back their bodies.Dressed in their khaki outfits, the Pakistan Army soldiers reached the appointed place. Army jawans carried the two bodies with due respect down the vertical incline of the mountains for over an hour. Sweating, tripping but not falling the jawans reached the appointed post. The Pakistan Army captain wearing a bullet proof jacket was waiting, and smoking almost non-stop. The youngster looked no different from any of the Indian soldiers, except of course his uniform. He tried to chat up the Indian post commander, who, however, did not seem interested in conversation.And understandably so because the troops were in PoK and a group of hostile villagers glared atthem from a distance. The Pakistan Army at the brief ceremony saw the faces of their soldiers, acknowledged their identity, signed the handing-over papers, identified themselves and carried away the bodies.The event, according to the Army was a landmark because this is for the first time, it found hard evidence of Pakistan army leading groups of men in India. "The rate at which we are killing infiltrators and their guides, no civilian guides from PoK are willing to get infiltrators into India. That is why, Pakistan Army is now sending its jawans into India on reconnaissance missions," says Brigadier Jasbir Singh, commander Cham Brigade.
