ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned Indian Chargé d'Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia on Saturday over deliberate targeting of the United Nations vehicle in ceasefire violation by the Indian occupation forces on Friday and lodged a strong protest over the brazen act in flagrant violation of established international norms.
“The Indian Chargé d'Affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office to register Pakistan’s strong protest at the deliberate targeting of observers belonging to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP),” Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.
He said that the deliberate targeting of a UN vehicle, engaged in discharging the mandate of the UN Security Council, constitutes a grave violation of India’s obligations, under the Council’s resolutions and the UN Charter, which includes the obligation to ensure the safety and security of the UNMOGIP Observers.
“It appears to be a new coercive and reckless Indian ploy to hinder the observers’ work,” he added. He said that the Indian side was communicated that the brazen act was a flagrant violation of established international norms and represented a complete disregard for principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
“It was also conveyed that the reprehensible act also represented a new low in the conduct of Indian occupation forces which target not only innocent civilians residing along the Line of Control but United Nations Observers as well,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Indian side was called upon to desist from such blatant violations of international law; respect the 2003 ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan; and let the UNMOGIP perform its role mandated by the UN Security Council.
Earlier on Friday, the Foreign Office and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) released the photographs of the damages caused to the UN vehicles due to the unprovoked Indian ceasefire violations.
Chaudhri said that the UN observers were on their way to Polas village in Azad Jammu and Kashmir to meet with the victims of the Indian ceasefire violations in Chirikot Sector of the Line of Control (LoC).
He said that both the UN observers, present in the vehicle, thankfully remained unharmed, and were safely rescued and evacuated to Rawalakot by the Pakistan Army. However, their vehicle sustained damage.
“The attack was unambiguously premeditated as UN vehicles are clearly recognizable even from long distances due to their distinctive marking and blue flag,” he added.
Indian media, while quoting sources in the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, to have denied targeted the UN vehicles.
“The reports emerging from Pakistan side regarding attack on UN vehicles are completely false and factually incorrect. There was no firing from the Indian side in this sector on Friday. Since movements of UN vehicles are known in advance, the question does not arise of any such firing. The allegations are baseless,” the Indian media quoted sources in the Ministry of External Affairs to have said on Friday.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020