Pakistan summons Indian diplomat to lodge protest over ceasefire violation

Due to indiscriminate fire a 36-year-old woman embraced martyrdom, says ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday summoned the head of Indian High Commission in Islamabad to lodge a strong protest over the latest ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the Line of control (LoC), leaving a woman martyred and eight-year old inured.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Indian troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violations in Jandrot and Khuiratta sectors along LoC deliberately targeting civilian population on Monday morning.

"Due to indiscriminate fire of automatics and rockets, a 36 years old woman, Yasmeen,  resident of village Red embraced shahadat [martyrdom] while an 8 years old innocent girl, Adeeba Zaheer, resident of village Mohra Chattar sustained serious injuries. [The] injured child has been evacuated and being provided with medical care," the military's media wing said.

Indian Army troops initiated unprovoked CFVs in Jandrot & Khuiratta Sectors along #LOC deliberately targeting civilian population this morning. A woman embraced shahadat while an 8 years old girl sustained injuries. Injured child evacuated & being provided medical care.

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) April 27, 2020

Hours later, Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned by Director General (South Asia & Saarc) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LoC, a separate statement issued by the Foreign Office said.

"The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 882 ceasefire violations," according to the FO.

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Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the DG (SA & Saarc) underscored that such senseless acts, in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding and complete disregard for international human rights and international norms, further vitiate the tense atmosphere along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security.

He added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

The DG (SA & Saarc) called upon the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. He also urged the Indian side to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

Tensions continued to persist between Pakistan  and India despite the outbreak of Covid-19. ISPR DG Major General Babar Iftikhar last week told a news conference that since the outbreak of coronavirus in Pakistan on February 26, as many as 456 ceasefire violations by Indian army were detected.