ISLAMABAD: India has committed 2660 ceasefire violations so far during this year, which resulted in martyrdom of 20 and serious injuries to 203 innocent civilians.

According to Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, a senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on 11th November 2020, resulting in serious injuries to one innocent civilian.

Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Rakhchikri Sector of the LoC, he said that a 26-year old Sagheer Ahmed, resident of Village Kirni, sustained serious injuries.

“The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 2660 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 20 shahadats and serious injuries to 203 innocent civilians,” he added.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, he 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,” he warned, adding that it was conveyed to the Indian side that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“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,” he said.

He further stated 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