Indian diplomat summoned over ceasefire violation

India has committed 1,546 ceasefire violations this year

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Wednesday summoned Indian Charge d’Affaires to register its strong protest over ceasefire violations by India.

“Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on June 29 and 30, resulting in shahadat of one and serious injuries to five innocent civilians,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.

It further stated that due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Kayani and Jura sectors of the LoC, on June 29 and 30, 16-year-old Muhammad Tauheed embraced shahadat. A two-year old boy Azad Ahmed, six-year-old Aneesa Waqas (6), Siraj Din (28), Sarmad Akram (16) and Abdul Qayyum (42) sustained serious injuries.

The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 1,546 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 14 shahadats and serious injuries to 114 innocent civilians, the statement added.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the Foreign Office underscored 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,” it maintained adding 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).

Indian side 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. The Indian side was also 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.