ISLAMABAD: The Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh was called upon at the foreign office on Thursday to lodge a protest over the killing of a civilian in another episode of firing across the Line of Control (LoC) a day earlier.
According to the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, Nafees Zakaria, Indian forces violated the truce along the LoC twice on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring others.
During a weekly press briefing in Islamabad, he said the cross-border firing started at midnight on October 19 following Pakistan army sent a befitting response back.
Pakistan also handed over a demarche to the representatives of the United Nations Military Observers group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) protesting against the Indian Army’s targeting of Pakistani civilians across the LoC and demanded a prompt investigate into the matter, Zakaria added.
‘Washington must mediate’
Zakaria said the United States must mediate between Pakistan and India in a bid to settle burning disputes between the two particularly unrest in the held Kashmir.
However, declined to comment on the statement of US presidential candidate Donald Trump who, as per media reports, has offered to mediate between the two countries.
To a question on US constant demand of hitting at specific militant groups, the spokesperson said Pakistan was targeting every militant group successfully.
“We are determined and well resolute in eradicating terrorism,” he said, adding that the sacrifices of 70,000 Pakistanis who lost their lives in this fight had been acknowledged by the US leaders from time to time.
‘India using sly political moves’
Speaking to media representatives in the federal capital, Zakaria said that repeated attempts of the Indian government to isolate Pakistan and to divert attention from the unrest in Kashmir failed miserably.
He also termed the Indian use of the international forums to isolate Pakistan sly political moves.
Zakaria said for varying reasons the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit was postponed eight times and India only delayed it five times.
Even China had to defend Pakistan after India accused of sponsoring cross-border terrorism during BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – meet, said the spokesperson.
The Pakistani official said, India’s fake narrative against Pakistan could not get any support from leading western and non-western countries and instead China, the US, the United Kingdom (UK), and even Russia supported and acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts and sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
The Foreign Office Spokesperson said Indian agencies were actively working against Pakistan from its soil and the recent statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Balochistan and Bangladesh had supported that very argument.
