Seven Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred due to unprovoked firing by Indian troops at the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday night. According to ISPR, the soldiers were martyred as the Indian troops indulged in crossfire violations at the LoC in Bhimber sector late Sunday night; however, Pakistani troops responded to the Indian unprovoked firing and effectively targeted the Indian posts.
In a tweet, General Asim Bajwa, the ISPR Spokesperson, stated that the Army Chief was given a briefing on the situation at the LoC. "[Army] will continue to respond effectively [and] leave no stone unturned to defend the motherland," the Spokesperson quoted the Army Chief as having said during the briefing. He further said that rich tribute was also paid to valour and sacrifices of the sliders.
The latest development prompted Pakistan's strong protest, lodged with the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Gautam Bambawale who was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday evening. "Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry summoned the Indian High Commissioner and condemned the unprovoked cease-fire violation by the Indian occupation forces at the LoC, resulting in the Shahadat (martyrdom) of seven Pakistani soldiers, in Bhimber area," said the Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria.
"Pakistan is pursuing a policy of restraint, which should not be construed as a sign of weakness," the Foreign Secretary was quoted to have conveyed to the Indian High Commissioner and underlined that the Armed Forces of Pakistan do not initiate fire, but will always respond in a befitting manner, if fired upon.
He said the Foreign Secretary deplored the increasing Indian cease-fire violations at the LoC and the Working Boundary, especially during the last two months. "This was against the 2003 Cease-fire Understanding and the principles of International Law," Chaudhry said. He emphasised that this belligerent attitude of Indian occupation forces is a serious threat to the regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.
According to the Spokesperson, the Foreign Secretary asked the Indian High Commissioner to convey to his government that it must stop the provocative firing and observe the cease-fire. The ISPR also released the names and photographs of the slain soldiers: Havaldar Zafar Hussain [father of four children and a resident of Murree], Havaldar Ibrar Ahmed Awan [father of one daughter and a resident of Muzaffarabad], Lance Naik Mohammad Shoukat [father of four children and a resident of Haveli Kahuta], Lance Naik Mohammad Haleem [father of one daughter and resident of Lakki Marwat], Sepoy Parvaiz Akram [married and a resident of Authmuqam], Sepoy Mohammad Ilyas [father of two children and a resident of Talagang] and Sepoy Mohammad Tanweer [unmarried and a resident of Samahni, Azad Jammu and Kashmir].
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