Targeting UN vehicle a new low in Indian military conduct: FO

The Foreign Office said on Friday that specifically targeting a United Nations vehicle, carrying two officers of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (Unmogip), by India was a “new low in the conduct of Indian occupation troops”.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri told a weekly press briefing the UN vehicle was damaged in the latest ceasefire violation but the two officers remained safe, adding that the officers were immediately evacuated by the army and brought back to the Unmogip field station in Rawalakot.

The spokesperson strongly condemned the continued ceasefire violations by India in a clear disregard for the international law, the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, the humanitarian norms and the professional military conduct.

Chaudhri said Indian occupation forces in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) resorted to unprovoked firing in Chirikot sector of the Line of Control (LoC), on Friday morning. He added the Indian troops specifically targeted a UN vehicle, carrying two Unmogip officers.

The officers were on their way to Polas village to meet with the victims of the Indian ceasefire violations, he said. “The reprehensible act of unprovoked firing by India on the Unmogip officers is indicative of a new low in the conduct of Indian occupation troops,” he said.

According to the Foreign Office spokesperson, India had committed 2,992 ceasefire violations this year alone, in which 27 people were martyred, while 249 innocent civilians, including 92 women and 68 children, sustained serious injuries.

He asked India to respect the Ceasefire Understanding, investigate incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the Working Boundary. “Pakistan also urges India to allow Unmogip to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.”

False flag operation

The spokesperson said that Pakistan had information from credible sources that India was planning to undertake a military misadventure or so-called surgical strike across the LoC and the international border, for which it was trying to seek understanding from major powers.

He added that a series of events and developments had exposed the real face of India to the world community. He recalled that the recently released dossier by Pakistan had left no doubt about Indian state-sponsorship of terrorism.

He said that Pakistan’s armed forces were fully prepared to defeat Indian designs. “Any miscalculation will result in global embarrassment for India, as it faced in 2019,” he warned. He said any ill-considered misadventure by India would face an “assured notch-up military response from Pakistan”.

But Chaudhri warned that such a scenario would destabilise the region with catastrophic consequences – the fact that had been shared with important world capitals. Any military conflict between Pakistan and India would undermine the peace prospects in Afghanistan, for which the entire responsibility would rest with India.

He urged the international community to advise India against any irresponsible act and desist from any action that would jeopardise the regional peace and stability. “We also warn the Indian political and military leadership to know that their mindset and sinister designs are well known to us,” he said.

World Bank report

The spokesperson said that the World Bank in its half-yearly report on ‘Private Participation in Infrastructure (PPI)’ had declared Pakistan as the fourth highest recipient of investment commitments during the first half of 2020.

He mentioned that the report attributed Pakistan’s entry into the top five, to the financial closure of the Thar Power Plant, with $1.9 billion of investment commitment. “The World Bank report is a testimony to Pakistan and China’s mutual commitment that the Covid-19 pandemic would not slow down CPEC.”

The spokesperson said Pakistan welcomed the decision by the government of Canada to positively revise its travel advisory, while lowering the overall risk level for Pakistan. Earlier, in the wake of the safe environment provided by Pakistan, the United Nations had re-designated Islamabad as a family station for its personnel.

Chaudhri said that several other countries like the US, the UK, Norway and Portugal had also revised their travel advisories for Pakistan. “These revisions are a manifestation of the fact that the international community has recognised that overall security environment in Pakistan has improved,” he said.

APP