Pakistan lodges protest with Indian deputy HC over ceasefire violations

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Indian Deputy High Commissioner (HC) Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned to Foreign Office on Wednesday and a strong protest was lodged over continuous unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC). In a statement, South Asia and SAARC Director General Dr Mohammad Faisal said an elderly lady embraced martyrdom while three other civilians sustained serious injuries in the Indian Army’s indiscriminate and unprovoked firing in Nezapir and Bagsar sectors of LoC. The FO spokesperson said Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons, which still continues. He said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. He said the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate these 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. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations. Earlier, an elderly woman and a teenage boy were martyred and three others injured after Indian forces opened unprovoked fire at the Line of Control (LoC) in Nakial and Rakh sectors on late Sunday. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Indian Army opened unprovoked fire, targeting civilian areas along the LoC. The two martyred people were identified as 60-year-old Salamat Bibi, and 13-year-old Zeeshan Ayub, while three others, including two women, were wounded as well. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention, the ISPR said. The Pakistan Army responded effectively to India’s unprovoked firing, it added.