Indian belligerence on LoC, Kashmir atrocities being highlighted internationally: FO

Spokesperson says India’s troops are resorting to firing to hide the country’s atrocities in held Kashmir

Pakistan is forcefully raising Indian belligerence on the Line of Control (LoC) and gross human rights violations in occupied Kashmir on an international level, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

At his weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said Pakistan is deeply concerned over the Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir as well as its targeting of civilians on the LoC.

Zakaria reiterated that India is resorting to unprovoked firing on the LoC in order to hide its atrocities in held Kashmir. He said civil society organisations in different countries have chalked out events to sensitise people on the human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.



The spokesperson highlighted that more than 150 poeple had so far been martyred by Indian troops in held Kashmir [since the July 8 uprising following the death of rebel leader Burhan Wani]. Over 1,000 people have been blinded either partially or completely there, he added.

Responding to a question, the spokesperson said Pakistan responds to Indian firing but it remains an endeavor of our troops not to target civilians but only the [troops] posts.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan will not tolerate deliberate targeting of innocent civilians particularly children and women, ambulances and civilian transport. Pakistan, he added, has exercised maximum restraint despite continuing ceasefire violations from Indian security forces along LoC.



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

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.