Govt doing everything to counter Pakistani fire, says Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: With tension along the Indo-Pak border escalating, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the NDA government will do everything possible to counter the shelling and do the needful to protect the honour of the country."We will do whatever necessary action should be taken to protect the honour and prestige of the country," he told reporters when asked about the continuous shelling from across the border in Jammu region.[caption id="attachment_3057250" align="alignleft" width="380"] Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. File photo. PTI[/caption]Asked about the strategy to counter the Pakistani shelling towards civilian areas, Singh said he has already spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti about the safety of people living along the border."Strategy is strategy. It cannot be disclosed," he said.Asked how India was retaliating to Pakistani firing, the Home Minister said "ask the neighbour".On the possibility of revival of hotline between Border Security Force and Pakistan Rangers to de-escalate tension along the border, Singh said "Let them (Pakistan) be prepared first for that".A total of 18 people, including 12 civilians, have been killed and more than 80 suffered injuries in Pakistani shelling and firing along IB and LoC in Jammu since Indian Army carried out surgical strikes against terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on 27 September.BSF had on Tuesday said that 14 Pakistani Posts were destroyed in retaliatory action by its troops along International Border (IB) in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Jammu frontier.In view of the relentless shelling, the Jammu and Kashmir government has closed over 400 schools along the IB and LoC inthe state.