FO summons Indian diplomat to protest ceasefire violations

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office summoned on Monday a senior Indian diplomat to register Pakistan’s strong protest over recent ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) that resulting in serious injuries to eleven civilians.

Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian population with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed more than 2,820 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in martyrdoms of 26 people and serious injuries to 245 civilians.

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Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by Indian 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.

The spokesperson said: “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”. He added 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).

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The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.