Armed forces equipped to reply Pakistani provocations: Jaitley

Within hours after his discharge from AIIMS, defence minister Arun Jaitley on Monday condemned the repeated ceasefire violations from Pakistan and said Indian forces are fully ready to respond to such provocations.

"Armed forces fully ready to respond to each of these Pakistani provocations," the Defence Minister told reporters as soon as he reached his official residence on Krishna Menon Marg in New Delhi.

Jaitley's statement comes in the wake of major ceasefire violations by Pakistani rangers on Monday in which four civilians were killed and 25 injured.

Pakistan rangers resorted to indiscriminate firing on Indian positions in Arnia sub-sector of the international border in Jammu district during the night.

61-year-old Jaitley, who holds additional charge of Defence portfolio, was admitted to the isolation unit of AIIMS last week.

He was taken there after he had complained of respiratory problems following his stay in a private hospital where he was readmitted for post surgery check up. He had undergone diabetes management surgery on Sept 2 in that hospital.

Jaitley has been dealing with urgent official matters even in the hospital but is expected to attend office in the next few days.

Earlier in the day, the BJP too had critisised provocations along the border and said the unprovoked firing by Pakistani Rangers reflects Islamabad's deep frustration over having lost the ploy and plot to internationalise the Kashmir issue during the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.

"What we are seeing on the border today is the sheer frustration of Pakistan, because it lost its plot and ploy to internationalize the issue of Kashmir on the floor of UNGA, and was given a befitting reply by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that it has to be bilateral talks, and Pakistan has to shun terrorism if it wants to come and sit for talks on the table," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI.

OneIndia News