Demarche to New Delhi: Pakistan protests after deaths of three soldiers

Indian diplomat summoned to protest February 13 incident

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday summoned New Delhi’s deputy high commissioner to lodge its protest over India’s latest ceasefire violation at the Line of Control (LoC) that left at least 3 Pakistani soldiers dead.

The Director General (SA and SAARC), Dr Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner, J P Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian forces on February 13.

The violation that took place at LoC in the Thub area (Bhimber Sector), led to the shahadat of three soldiers.

“The deliberate targeting of civilians and soldiers is indeed condemnable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The DG urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire understanding and urged him to investigate Monday’s firing and other incidents of ceasefire violations. He also asked the Indian diplomat to instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC.

The latest incident is likely to further rachet up tensions between the two neighbors, whose relations have remained strained for months.

The de facto border has started to heat up again after a relative calm for a few weeks especially after General Qamar Bajwa took charge of the Pakistan Army. The return of frequent exchanges suggested that the two neighbors are far from returning to normalcy at any time soon.

Pakistan believes that India is keeping the LoC tense in order to avoid world’s attention towards the current uprising in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

The disputed Himalyan region has been in the grip of violence ever since the popular young Kashmir leader Burhan Wani was killed in a police encounter in July last year.

The relations between the two countries came to a tipping point when militants stormed the Indian military base in Kashmir killing 19 soldiers in September.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2017.