A statement issued here said that Indian acting deputy high commissioner was summoned to the Foreign Office by Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr Mohammad Faisal and a strong protest was lodged with him over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LoC on December 31, 2018 in Athmuqam, Shahkot Sector.
It stated that the unprovoked firing by Indian troops resulted in martyrdom of an innocent woman Asia Bibi, wife of Mohammad Haroon, while seven other civilians including two women and three children sustained splinter injuries. "The Indian forces along the Line of Control and Working Boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons," the statement noted.
In 2018, it pointed out that the Indian forces have carried out more than 2,350 ceasefire violations along the LoC and Working Boundary, resulting in martyrdom of 36 innocent civilians, while injuring 142 others. "This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India has been continuing since the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1,970 ceasefire violations," it further noted.
It stated that 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, it warned.
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 also urged that the Indian side should permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.