ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Saturday it had summoned the Indian chargé d’affaires and lodged a protest over the killing of two Pakistani civilians in Indian firing near the border a day earlier, accusing Indian forces of resorting to “unprovoked lethal force against unarmed civilians.”

The two Pakistani men were killed on Friday in firing by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) near the international frontier dividing the two countries, Pakistani security sources said, with both sides giving conflicting accounts of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The shooting near Pakistan’s eastern Kasur district came a day after Islamabad challenged Indian reports that its forces had killed a former Pakistani soldier who was working for a militant group in Kashmir, with Pakistan’s military producing the soldier alive at a news conference.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said on Saturday India’s BSF resorted to unprovoked lethal force against unarmed Pakistani civilians, adding that “such use of force was wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate” which had resulted in the tragic loss of two precious lives.

“It was underscored that the incident constituted a serious violation of fundamental human rights, including the right to life, and raised serious concerns regarding the protection of civilian life under international law,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.

“The Indian side was called upon to conduct an immediate, transparent and credible investigation into the incident, take appropriate disciplinary and legal action against those found responsible, and formally communicate the findings and action taken to the Government of Pakistan.”

Indian media, citing BSF and other official sources, gave a different account, describing the men as suspected Pakistani infiltrators who were attempting to cross into India near a border post in Punjab.

The Pakistani foreign ministry on Saturday rejected any attempt to mischaracterize the deceased as “infiltrators.”

“India was further urged to ensure respect for fundamental human rights and international law, strictly observe relevant bilateral arrangements and established border procedures, exercise maximum restraint in dealing with such situations, and take effective measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” the Pakistani ministry said.

The statement came days after Indian authorities said security forces had killed a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander identified as Hashim Musa, also known as Asif Fauji, in an intelligence-led operation in Budgam. Indian media published a photograph of a Pakistani national identity card belonging to former soldier Mohammad Asif, reporting that his body had been recovered after the operation and that he had been involved in a string of militant attacks in disputed Kashmir.

Pakistan’s military produced Asif alive at a news conference on Thursday, where he told reporters: “I am alive and in front of you.”

Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry described the episode as a “false flag,” presenting Indian military statements, government releases and media reports that he said showed an attempt to implicate Pakistan.

India has long accused Pakistan of cross-border militancy in Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed in full but ruled in part by both countries. Pakistan denies providing military support to the insurgency against Indian rule.

Relations deteriorated sharply after an April 2025 attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers and launched strikes inside Pakistan the following month. Islamabad denied involvement and responded militarily before a ceasefire ended four days of fighting.