READ ALSO: ​

We have responded with courage to ceasefire violations, PM says

NEW DELHI: India strongly warned Pakistan that it would have to suffer "unaffordable costs" for its "adventurism" amid heavy-duty mortars from both countries continuing to boom across the International Border (IB), attracting an aggressive response from Pakistan which invoked its nuclear arsenal and called a meeting of its national security council to review its options.Although the Line of Control (LoC) remained relatively quiet for the second day running on Thursday, there was a step-up in the cross-border mortar duels. Pakistan, in a departure from the practice of firing mainly during the nights, began launching shells at villages in Arnia and RS Pura sectors along the IB right since the morning on Thursday, injuring five civilians and three BSF jawans. The BSF, on its part, let loose over 1,000 mortar shells into Pakistan.Defence minister Arun Jaitley, underlining the Modi government's hard-line approach, accused Pakistan of "clearly being the aggressor" with its series of "unprovoked" ceasefire violations. "But it must realise our deterrence will be credible. If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unaffordable," he said.Campaigning in faraway Baramati in Maharashtra, PM Narendra Modi also asserted that cross-border hostility would continue to be met with "courage" from the Indian armed forces. "Today, when bullets are being fired on the border, it is the enemy that is screaming. Our jawans have responded to the aggression with courage. The enemy has realised that times have changed and their old habits will not be tolerated... People know my intentions and I need not express those in words. When the jawans have to speak, they speak with their fingers on the trigger... and they will continue to speak that way," Modi said.Pakistan, too, maintained an aggressive stance with PM Nawaz Sharif calling a meeting of the national security council (NSC) on Friday to "discuss the recent ceasefire violations by India" on the border. His defence minister Khwaja Asif wheeled out the N-card. "We do not want the situation on the borders of two nuclear neighbours to escalate into confrontation. India must demonstrate caution and behave with responsibility," Asif said in what was seen by many as a ploy to get the international community lean on India by raising the scare of a full-scale conflict between the nuclear-armed estranged neighbours.With no signs of any let up in the offensive from either side despite civilians getting caught in the crossfire, the possibility of de-escalation anytime soon seems dim. "How can you talk when firing is on... As long as that continues, how can there be peace? Our armed forces, particularly the Army and BSF, have only one option and that is to respond adequately and defend our territory and our people," Jaitley said.BSF director-general D K Pathak told TOI, "The offer of peace has to come from Pakistan. We are not the aggressor here. We have inflicted heavy damage on them, but they keep firing. I do not understand why? This is akin to getting beaten up by the wrestler repeatedly but not leaving the ring."(Women salvage their belongings after firing in Ramgarh sector.)Both the countries are concentrating their firepower in the shape of 82mm mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns along the IB, which has led to civilian casualties on both sides due to the existence of border hamlets there unlike the LoC.Pakistan has also taken to starting early and finishing late now. "They are firing for a good 12 hours now. We had told civilians not to venture out of their homes before 8.30-9 am. But some people did not pay heed and unfortunately got hit by Pakistani fire. We have issued fresh advisories to the state administration again," Pathak said.There is also speculation if the stepped-up border firing was triggered by something as simple as Pakistan losing to India in the Asian Games hockey final. "It is true that the first fire from Pakistan came 25 minutes after India won the hockey gold. The second burst came two hours later. After that, firing from both sides began in full measure," Pathak said.