Pakistan summons Indian Deputy HC, lodges protest against firing at LoC

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Director General (SA & SAARC) Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh on Monday and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control on February 4 in Nezapir, Nikial and Karela Sectors. The Indian unprovoked firing resulted in the martyrdom of two innocent civilians – 18-year-old Rafaqat Ali r/o Kalar Gali village and 25-year-old Tasleem Begum r/o Plani village) – while injured seven others, including two children in Mandhar, Ghim Mohra, Soban Oli, and Plani villages. The Director General (SA & SAARC) urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Agreement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace and tranquility on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. The Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary have continuously been targeting the civilian populated areas with heavy mortars and automatic weapons. In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 190 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary to date, resulting in the martyrdom of 13 innocent civilians, while injuring 65 others. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.