ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh for the third straight day to lodge protest over the recent ceasefire violations.
In a statement issued, FO spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said the latest ceasefire violation took place in Nikial Sector along Line of Control in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) late Saturday night.
Two innocent villagers Dil Muhammad, aged 33, and Nafeesa, aged 25, were martyred and three others injured as a result of unprovoked Indian firing, FO said in the statement.
The injured were rushed to Kotli District Headquarters Hospital for medical attention. They have been identified as Sahiba, Naseema and six-month-old Noor.
“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,” the statement maintained.
The Director General South Asia and SAARC 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 urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions,” the FO statement concluded.
On Saturday, Faisal, who is also Director-General South Asia, handed over a protest note to the Indian diplomat, condemning the use of heavy artillery on the Line of Control and Working Boundary, targeting civilians.
At least four people had embraced martyrdom and 20 others sustained injuries in unprovoked firing and shelling by the Indian Border Security Force in different sectors of the Working Boundary and Line of Control, according to Dr. Muhammad Faisal, spokesman for the Foreign Office.
He said Indian forces have breached the ceasefire on more than 150 occasions this month (January) alone.
The spokesman said despite calls for restraint, India continued to indulge in ceasefire violations and urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire agreement, investigate this and other such incidents, and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.
