Lashing out: Civil-military leadership slams Indian firing

Army chief says India has crossed all limits to terrorise Pakistani civilians

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s civil and military leadership on Friday assailed Indian forces for flouting all international norms and targeting the country’s civilian population as the two nuclear-armed neighbours exchanged the deadliest fire in recent months along the border.

While the Foreign Office summoned India’s high commissioner to register a strong protest over the unprovoked Indian firing, army chief General Raheel Sharif condemned New Delhi for ‘crossing all limits to terrorise Pakistan’s civilian population’ without any regard to all international conventions and norms.

Gen Raheel visited the Rangers Headquarters in Sialkot hours after the overnight exchange of fire between the Pakistani and India forces along the working boundary (WB) that left at least 11 people, including eight civilians, on the Pakistani side dead.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the army chief accused India of ‘blatantly’ violating the 2003 ceasefire agreement.  “We can sense definite linkage between terrorism being sponsored by India in various  parts of Pakistan and belligerence along the Line of Control (LoC) and the working boundary,” Gen Raheel was quoted as saying by ISPR Director-General Maj-Gen Asim Salim Bajwa in a series of tweets.

Terming the Indian firing targeting civilian population as highly unprofessional, unethical, irresponsible and cowardly, the army chief appreciated the high morale of deployed troops and their befitting response to aggression from across the border.

This is the first time the army chief publicly accused India of sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan and upping the ante along the LoC and WB.

He visited the Combined Military Hospital in Sialkot to inquire about the health of injured civilians and directed the concerned authorities to ensure the best possible treatment, the military’s media wing said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry lodged a strong protest with India’s High Commissioner Dr T C A Raghavan over the latest ceasefire violations by India in Harpal and Charrar sectors along the WB in Sialkot.

While condemning the Indian practice of targeting civilians on purpose, the government of Pakistan expressed its deep concern at the continued hostility at the LoC and the WB.

“The Indian government was urged to stop forthwith the ceasefire violations and observe the 2003 Ceasefire Arrangement for restoration of peace and tranquility at the LoC and the WB,” the FO said.

In a separate statement, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz also condemned the unprovoked Indian firing on the working boundary. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and offered prayers for the quick recovery of the injured.

The adviser has also expressed extreme concern of the government at the continued ceasefire violations by India on the LoC and the WB. He called upon the Indian side to stop these ceasefire violations forthwith and restore peace and tranquility at the LoC and the WB.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.