India and Pakistan exchanged diplomatic protests on Saturday, October 3, 2026, after the Border Security Force (BSF) said it had shot and killed two men who it claimed were attempting to infiltrate the international border in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Indian Charge d’Affaires in Islamabad to protest the killings of men it described as unarmed civilians, while India later summoned the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires in Delhi to reject the Pakistani statement and accuse Pakistan of continuing to facilitate illegal cross‑border infiltration.
The BSF stated that it had seen three men moving toward the border through paddy fields on the Pakistani side on Friday morning at about 11:30 a.m. The force said it fired at the men, killing two, and handed the bodies over to Pakistani Rangers after post‑mortem procedures. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry accused the Indian security forces of using unprovoked lethal force against unarmed civilians, a claim the BSF denies.
The men were identified by Pakistani officials as Azmat Shah, 20, and Mohsin Habibullah, 22, both from the border village of Ladhar on the Pakistani side of Punjab. Pakistan’s statement called the use of force “wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate” and rejected any attempt to label the deceased as infiltrators.
Both countries have downgraded their diplomatic missions and recalled high commissioners since 2019. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded an immediate, transparent investigation and appropriate disciplinary action, while India cited a pattern of repeated cross‑border movement by armed narcotics syndicates and urged Pakistan to investigate infiltration, drug smuggling activities and the complicity of its border guarding forces.“}
