Cross-LoC firing: Three dead as Indian troops shell marriage party in AJK

Pakistan condemns fresh ceasefire violation along LoC, working boundary

MUZAFFARABAD/ SIALKOT/ NAROWAL: Indian troops continued to violate ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday as they targeted a marriage party in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), killing at least three people, including a woman and a child, and injuring five others.

According to police, Indian forces opened fire on civilian population in Nakyal Sector’s Chafrigahi village along the LoC, some 185 kilometres from Muzaffarabad.



Three villagers attending the marriage ceremony were hit by a mortar shell coming from the enemy’s side. The mortar killed 24-year-old Saima Zubair, five-year-old Ammna Shaukat and 50-year-old Latif on the spot.

Five other people — Aleeza Fatima, Shaheen Akhter, Muhammad Sadiq, Naila Ilyas and Dawood Ahmad — were also injured in the shelling. Police officials in Kotli confirmed Indian army’s shelling on the wedding party and other villages.

The Pakistan Army effectively retaliated against the Indian firing and silenced their guns. The enemy also shelled many areas along the working boundary, particularly Chaprar Sector, in Sialkot and deliberately targeted residential buildings and cattle.

According to local sources, Indian forces used light and heavy mortars on the civilian population of Chaprar, causing huge damage to houses and properties. The villagers have already left the area and moved to safer locations. There were also reports of heavy monetary losses to people in Shakargarh area of Narowal, where firing could be heard till Thursday night.

Pakistan strongly denounced the Indian ceasefire violations at the LoC and the working boundary.

In a briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said India should respect the ceasefire and refrain from targeting civilians and their properties. “India is resorting to such acts to deflect the world attention from its ongoing atrocities in Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK),” he added.



The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) also rebutted India’s claim of killing a Pakistani solider at the working boundary. Terming the Indian claim as baseless and untrue, the ISPR said it was part of India’s propaganda campaign aimed at hiding its losses and also to divert world attention from Kashmir issue.

Meanwhile, Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh was also summoned in the Foreign Office to strongly condemn his country’s unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 27 along the working boundary and the LoC.

The Indian shelling in Shakargarh sector on the working boundary and in Nakyal sector on the LoC resulted in the death of six civilians, including two women and injured 22 others.

“[India was] urged to respect the 2003 ceasefire understanding, investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians,” said a statement.

Acting President of AJK Shah Ghulam Qadir also condemned the attack on the marriage party in Nakyal sector, and termed such acts a blatant threat to South Asian peace and security.



“The recent cycle of violence and ceasefire violation on the LoC and working boundary is an attempt to divert the global attention from the present situation of the IOK,” he said. Qadir directed the Kotli district administration to pay and deliver compensation to the heirs of the bereaved families.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.