ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday summoned senior Indian diplomat to register a strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LOC). According to a statement of the Foreign Office, the senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LOC on 9th December 2020, resulting in serious injuries to an innocent civilian.

Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Hotspring Sector of the LoC, it added that 55-year-old Naseem Fatima wife of Sabir Shah, resident of Tai Mohra village, 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 2,940 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 27 martyrdoms and serious injuries to 247 innocent civilians, it added.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it stated 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, it added.

According to the statement, it was conveyed to the Indian side that by raising tensions along the LOC and the WB, it cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

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.

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, it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020