Foreign Office Monday said that Indian troops have carried out more than 100 ceasefire violations in first 15 days of 2018 and lodged a strong protest with top Indian diplomat over the martyrdom of four Pakistani soldiers in the most recent ceasefire violation.
According to a statement by Foreign Office, Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh was summoned to Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr Mohammad Faisal. Dr Faisal condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces, using heavy mortars, on January 15, 2018 in Jandrot sub-sector of Kotli Sector.
The unprovoked firing resulted in martyrdom of four Pakistani soldiers, while five others got injured. Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations, it stated, adding in 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 100 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 15 days.
"This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India has been continuing since the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations," it noted. "The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas and troops carrying out maintenance activities is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws," the statement further said, adding the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.
The director general urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He also urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.