ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned a senior Indian diplomat on Friday and lodged a strong protest with him over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Karela Sector on Thursday 25 June, which resulted in serious injuries to an innocent civilian.
Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces, according to Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui, a 28 year old Madeeha Hafeez, wife of Muhammad Tahir and resident of Batla Mathrani village sustained serious injuries.
She said the Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons.
In 2020, India has so far committed 1487 ceasefire violations resulting in 13 shahadats and serious injuries to 106 innocent civilians, she added.
Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, she added 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," she said, adding that the Indian side was conveyed that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, it cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).
She further said 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.
She added that 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.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020