Indian diplomat summoned over ceasefire violation

Five civilians sustained critical injuries in Indian firing

ISLAMABAD:

The Indian Charge d’Affaires was summoned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) on July 5, 2020, in which five civilians were injured, the Foreign Office said.

Seven-year-old Aryan, 10-year-old Junaid, 70-year-old Jahan Begum, 50-year-old Zubaida Bibi, and 15-year-old Kamran Shafique, residents of Truthi and Ghim Bala villages, sustained critical injuries due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by Indian forces in Nikial Sector of the LoC.

The Foreign Office said in statement that Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) had been continuously targeting civilian-populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons.

According to the statement, in 2020 India has committed 1,595 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 14 deaths and critical injuries to 121 innocent civilians.

“Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by Indian forces, it was underscored that such acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct,” the statement said.

“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. 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), added the Foreign Office.

According to the statement, the 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.

Earlier, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar Monday said the Indian Army troops targeted civilian population along the line of control (LoC) in unprovoked ceasefire violation (CFV) and martyred five innocent civilians.

In a tweet, the ISPR DG said as many as five civilians including two innocent boys and two elderly women got injured due to Indian Army troops unprovoked CFV in Nikial Sector, along LoC, targeting civil population late last night.

He added that Pakistan Army troops responded effectively to Indian firing.

WITH INPUT FROM APP