ISLAMABAD: The Spokesperson of Foreign Office, Dr. Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian Deputy Envoy Gaurav Ahluwalia on Sunday and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by New Dehli which claimed lives of civilians along the Line of Control (LoC).
The statement of the Foreign Office denounced the killings by Indian occupation forces’ firing along the LoC in Jura, Shahkot and Nausehri Sectors on 19th and 20th October 2019.
“Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by Indian occupation forces, including use of heavy artillery, five innocent civilians, Muhammad Rafaqat s/o Haji Azam aged 28 years, Haji Azam aged 60 years, Haji Sarfaraz s/o Ghulam Rabbani aged 47 years, residents of village Nausadda and two non-resident civilian labourers Mr. Liaqat and Mr. Faisal, embraced Shahadat [martyrdom], while six others, including women and children, sustained serious injuries.”
The Indian occupation forces, along the LoC and Working Boundary, have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy caliber mortars, and automatic weapons. This escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1970 ceasefire violations, the FO noted.
“Pakistan categorically rejects Indian media reports about so-called “launchpads” being targeted by India along the LoC.”
The statement said that earlier, highlighting the Indian threat to regional peace and security, Pakistan has called upon the P5 to ask India to provide information about the so-called alleged “launchpads” and stated its willingness to arrange a visit of the P5 diplomats to those locations to expose Indian falsehood.
“Heinous Indian targeting of civilians is a typical attempt by India to divert international attention from the humanitarian nightmare in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” the statement added.
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.
