Indian diplomat summoned to lodge protest over Dec 19 LoC ceasefire violation

FO says the violation resulted in serious injuries to a 25-year-old woman, resident of Akhori village

ISLAMABAD:

A senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFa) on Sunday to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the recent ceasefire violation by occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in serious injuries to innocent civilians.

A statement issued by the Foreign Office maintained that due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Rakhchikri Sector of the LoC on December 19, 2020, 25-year-old resident of Akhori village, Sagheera d/o Muhammad Haneef, sustained serious injuries.

The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons.

This year, India has committed 3003 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in martyrdom of 27 innocent civilians and serious injuries to 250 others.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the FO said that it was 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 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 Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

The official statement said that 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.

Just a day earlier, on December 19, the Indian Charge d’Affaires was summoned by the country's foreign ministry on Saturday to lodge a protest against the "deliberate targeting" of military observers assigned to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP). 

The UN military observers were en route to Polas village in the Chirikot sector of the Line of Control (LOC) to interact with villagers affected by unabated ceasefire violations (CFV) by India when their vehicle came under fire on Friday from the Indian side of the disputed border.

The vehicle was damaged in the incident, but the two UN military observers travelling in it remained unharmed. They were safely rescued and evacuated by the Pakistan Army to Rawalakot.