Aziz briefs P5 mission heads on Indian aggression across borders

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz on Friday briefed mission heads of the UN Security Council permanent members (China, France, Russian Federation, UK and US) on the continued and unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary.

The adviser strongly condemned the attack on a civilian bus in the Neelum Valley on November 23, when Indian shelling across the frontier into Pakistani-controlled Kashmir killed at least 10 people and three Pakistani soldiers.

Indian forces also hit an ambulance when it was rescuing victims of the bus attack, a brutal violation of the 2003 ceasefire agreement and the international humanitarian law.

The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas was condemnable and deplorable and must be investigated, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The adviser referred to persistent ceasefire violations by India, especially during the last two months, resulting in the loss of more than 45 innocent civilian lives and injuries to over 139 others at the LoC and WB in an effort to divert global attention from rising human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir.

“Indian belligerence is a threat to the regional peace and security and can lead to a strategic miscalculation, which will be disastrous for the region,” Aziz said in the statement.

The adviser also had sent letters to the Foreign Ministers of P5 countries, copies of which were handed over to the heads on Friday.

The adviser once again called upon the permanent UN Security Council members to play their role in maintaining peace by urging India to calm down along the borders.