Pakistan summoned top Indian diplomat on Monday and lodged with him a strong protest over the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) that resulted in loss of a civilian life and caused injury to another. In a statement, the Foreign Office said that Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LoC on 7th January 2019 in Bagsar Sector.

It stated that the unprovoked Indian firing resulted in martyrdom of an innocent civilian namely Azeem, while a woman sustained injuries.

The Indian forces along the Line of Control and Working boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons, it stated, adding this unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India has been continuing since year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1,970 ceasefire violations. "The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws," it stated, adding the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.

The director general (SA & 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 Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019