Pakistan summons Indian envoy over ceasefire violations

Lodges strong protest against the ceasefire violation which left six citizens injured

Pakistan lodged a strong protest on Tuesday against ceasefire violations by Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Bagsar Sector on May 4 which resulted in critical injuries to six civilians.

According to the Foreign Office, a senior Indian diplomat was summoned to register Pakistan's protest. Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian forces, Waheed, 45, Nazima Bibi, 55, Aqeel, 12, Shaheen Begum, 30, Zareena Begum, 50, and Jamil, 45, were critically injured, stated the FO.

Condemning the violation, FO noted that Indian forces "along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons".

It was underscored that in 2020 thus far, India has committed 957 ceasefire violations and that "such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct".

These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security, stressed the FO.

It was 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).

India was called upon 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, stated the FO.

Besides, India was urged 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, read the FO's statement.

Tensions continued to persist between Pakistan and India despite the outbreak of Covid-19. Multiple accusations of ceasefire violations have been made by either side in the past week alone. On Monday India contended against upcoming elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, which Pakistan rejected declaring the grounds of contention to be "baseless and fallacious".