Pakistan will not tolerate targeting of innocent civilians, ambulances: Nawaz

Meeting reviews situation in the wake of the attack by Indian troops and firing on LoC

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said Pakistan will not tolerate deliberate targeting of innocent civilians particularly children and women, ambulances and civilian transport.

"Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint despite continuing ceasefire violations from Indian security forces along LoC," the premier said while chairing a meeting on the current situation following Indian forces' bus massacre near Neelum valley.

Indian forces targeted a passenger bus in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and wounding another nine.



The meeting reviewed the situation in the wake of the attack and unprovoked firing by Indian troops on the LoC. Participants of the meeting condemned the massacre and re-affirmed their political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Indian-held Kashmir in their just and legitimate struggle for self-determination.

PHOTO: PM HOUSE

The belligerent targeting of the ambulance which was rescuing the affectees of the attack on the bus was deplored as a blatant violation of the International Humanitarian Law.

The participants urged the international community to take note of the intentional targeting of civilians and increasing number of civilian casualties.

The meeting called upon the international community to play its active role in diffusing the deteriorating security situation along the LoC which has been deliberately escalated by the Indian side. It also paid rich tributes to the soldiers of the armed forces of Pakistan who laid down their lives.

The meeting agreed that India is deliberately trying to divert the attention of the international community from the grave human rights violations, massacre and atrocities being committed in held Kashmir.



The Prime Minister was briefed by Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, DG ISI Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar, SAPM on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi and National Security Advisor Lt General (retd) Nasser Khan Janjua on the prevailing situation. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and other senior government officials.

The bus en route to Muzaffarabad from Kel was hit by Indian mortars near the Lawat Kanari Bala area of Neelum Valley, some 99km from the AJK capital. Pakistani troops retaliated to the unprovoked shelling by attacking Indian posts and other strategic positions, killing seven Indian soldiers.

However, three Pakistani soldiers – Capt Taimoor Ali Khan, Havildar Mushtaq Hussain and Lance Naik Ghulam Hussain – were killed in the exchange of fire.

Later, Army chief General Raheel Sharif held a special meeting at the Corps Headquarters in Rawalpindi to review the situation and termed deliberate targeting of innocent civilians as unprofessional and unacceptable.