FO summons senior Indian diplomat over LoC ceasefire violations

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on October 14, resulting in serious injuries to two innocent civilians.

25-year-old Sufiyan and 28-year-old Muhammad Rafaqat had sustained serious injuries due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by Indian forces in Jandrot Sector of the LoC.

Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said the Indian occupation forces have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons.

This year, India has committed 2,530 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in the martyrdom of 19 people and serious injuries to 197 innocent civilians.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it was underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.

“These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security,” the spokesperson said.

“It was added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).”