Ceasefire violations: Top Indian diplomat summoned, protest lodged

Pakistan summoned top Indian diplomat and lodged with him a strong protest over the ceasefire violations by India Saturday, which resulted in martyrdom of an innocent civilian.

"Indian Charge d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned by Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, to register Pakistan's strong protest at the ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Chirikot Sector on 8 February 2020," the Foreign Office said.

It stated that the ceasefire violations by Indian troops resulted in the Shahadat of an innocent civilian man and serious injuries to another innocent civilian woman.

Due to the indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian forces, Mir Muhammad embraced Shahadat while 32 years old Iffat Naz, w/o Muhammad Arshad, both residents of Kakuta village, sustained serious injuries, it added.

Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the DG (SA & Saarc) underscored that such senseless Indian acts, in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding and complete disregard for international human rights and international norms, further vitiate the tense atmosphere along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security.

He added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB), India cannot divert attention from the worsening human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

The DG (SA & Saarc) called upon the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace on the LoC and the WB.

He also urged that India should permit the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.