Pakistan summoned the Indian chargé d’affaires to lodge a strong protest over the killing of two Pakistani civilians by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in the Bedian sector along the international border, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday.

Two unarmed Pakistani civilians were martyred and another was injured in firing by India’s BSF near the border in Kasur on Friday.

“The BSF personnel resorted to unprovoked and lethal force against unarmed civilians. Such use of force was wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate, resulting in the tragic loss of two precious lives,” the FO said.

Pakistan categorically rejects any attempt to mischaracterise the deceased as “infiltrators”, it added.

The FO said the incident constituted a serious violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, and raised concerns over the protection of civilian life under international law.

It called on the Indian side to “conduct an immediate, transparent and credible investigation”, take appropriate disciplinary and legal action against those responsible, and formally communicate the findings and action taken to the government of Pakistan.

India was further urged to “respect fundamental human rights and international law, strictly observe relevant bilateral arrangements and established border procedures, exercise maximum restraint in such situations, and take effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future”, the FO said.

Across the border, India’s foreign ministry said it had summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to protest what it alleged was the “continued facilitation of illegal cross-border infiltration from Pakistan”.

The three civilians were residents of Ladhar village and had moved a few steps ahead of a border pillar when the BSF opened fire on them without warning. All three were unarmed.

The deceased were identified as Azmat Rasool and Mohsin Jutt, both residents of Jattan Wali Haveli, Ladhar. The injured civilian was taken for medical treatment.

According to security sources, none of the three men had attempted to cross the border fence, with the incident described as a violation of the border agreement and standard operating procedures governing the international border.

The development comes a day after Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry lampooned India’s claims of “neutralising” a “terrorist” allegedly linked to the Pakistani military, presenting the individual during a press conference.

Asked whether the recent allegations could trigger another armed conflict between the neighbours during the press briefing, he affirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces were always ready for any such move and warned of “very harsh” retribution.

Additional input from Reuters