60 civilians martyred so far UNMOGIP mandate is crucial to ensuring peace on LoC: FO

The mandate of United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) is crucial to ensure peace and tranquillity on the Line of Control (LoC) and Indian troops' 580 cease-fire violations have resulted in martyrdom of 60 civilians and caused injuries to about 30 in 2017 so far, the Foreign Office said.
Spokesperson Foreign Office Nafees Zakaria said this on Thursday in his weekly media briefing. "The Indian cease-fire violations and the resultant escalation at the LoC and Working Boundary (WB) is a threat to regional peace and security," he said, adding that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua also briefed the European Union Ambassadors on the atrocities perpetrated by Indian forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir and violations at the LoC by India.
The UNMOGIP enjoys mandate to monitor the cease-fire violations at the LoC and Working Boundary in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, he said, adding that Pakistan has always extended full cooperation to the UNMOGIP and on the contrary, India gives extremely limited access to UNMOGIP in IoK.
"In order to ensure peace and tranquillity at the LoC, the mandate of UNMOGIP is crucial," he said. "We have repeatedly urged the Indian side to permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UNSC resolutions," he added. Zakaria also urged India to respect the norms of inter-state conduct and realize that 'consultation not confrontation and peaceful coexistence' is the only way forward in the civilized global world of today.
"We strongly condemn the continuous unprovoked violations at the LoC by India," he said. Giving details, he said that as a result of this unprovoked action on Wednesday, one of our brave soldiers embraced Shahdat (martyrdom) and two others got critically injured, and two innocent civilians have also been martyred and five were injured due to cowardly acts of Indian forces.
He said that Pakistan Armed Forces responded effectively and Indian soldiers suffered five casualties and injuries. "In order to cover the continued heinous crimes that Indian forces are committing against innocent civilian Kashmiris in IoK with impunity, India has been heightening tension at the LoC and Working Boundary to divert international attention away from this issue," he said, adding that Indian irresponsible actions pose a direct threat to the security of the region and beyond.
During the last six days, Indian occupation forces in their actions to violently suppress the Kashmiri people have martyred nine Kashmiris including Mohammad Abdullah Ganai (60 year old), Mukhtar Ahmad Lone, Parvaiz Ahmad Mir, Showkat Ahmad Lohar, (23); Mudasir Hajam, (18) and Rayees Ahmad Bhat in Tral, Islamabad and Bandipore areas, he added
The spokesperson said that at least 138 defenceless Kashmiris were injured after Indian forces fired bullets, pellets and PAVA shells in held Srinagar, Pulwama, Tral, Shopian, Kulgam, Bijbehara, Islamabad, Hajin, Sopore, Budgam and Bandipore areas.
Indian forces arrested over 54 activists and students in illegal house raids, mostly at night, he said, adding that night raids, which are contrary to any human rights standards, have become the norm in IoK. "The objective is to terrify the civilian population, including children, women, elderly and the youth by entering their houses and meeting out inhuman treatment to them," he said. He also condemned continued illegal detention of Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabbir Ahmad Shah, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, and Zafar Akbar Bhat, prolonged illegal detention of Massarat Alam Bhat, Aasiya Andrabi and Fehmeeda Sofi and students under black law, Public Safety Act, and constant denial to offer Friday prayers.
About a question regarding Afghanistan, he said Pakistan believes that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan; therefore, the focus should be on a politically negotiated settlement under an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. "We have constructively participated in all initiatives and forums for promoting peace, stability and reconciliation in Afghanistan and will continue to do that," he said.
Regarding the questions on the US State Department's report, he said that numerous delegations, who came to Pakistan from US and other countries, have visited the terrorism-affected areas in Pakistan, which have successfully been cleansed from terrorism.
"We have taken indiscriminate and all-out actions against terrorists. They are on the run," he said, adding that most of them have fled to Afghanistan, the country which has been in turmoil for the last 40 years. He said that Pakistan has completed numerous health and education related projects in infrastructure development sectors in Afghanistan with a financial grant of US $500 million.
"Under Prime Minister's Scheme, 3,000 scholarships have been fully availed by Afghan students, while 3,000 more have been announced by the government recently," he added. During the last meeting at Brussels on reconstruction of Afghanistan, Pakistan has pledged an additional US $500 million, he said. "We will be closely co-operating with the Afghan government in identifying the priority projects in this regard," he said. Pakistan attaches high importance to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and is working with other countries to achieve the same goal, he said.