ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan JP Singh over the killing of a civilian across the Line of Control (LoC).
According to a statement issued by FO Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal, the FO South Asia director general handed over a protest letter to the Indian deputy high commissioner. A civilian was killed and four others were injured as a result of unprovoked Indian firing at the LOC on Friday.
The Indian diplomat was also summoned yesterday over Indian firing across the Working Boundary in Sialkot, Punjab. The Indian diplomat was summoned the third time this week.
The Indian forces along the Working Boundary were continuously engaged in indiscriminate and unprovoked firing with heavy mortars and automatic weapons on the civilian populated villages, since the past two days. Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 125 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 19 days, resulting in the shahadat of four innocent civilians, while injuring 20 others. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India was continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations).
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.
The director general 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 urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
Separately, a man was killed and a young girl wounded in Bhimber district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Friday after Indian troops resorted to “unprovoked” shelling from across the restive line of control (LoC).
Ghulam Nabi, 60, son of Noor Muhammad, was in his home in Naali village of Barnala sector when he was hit by a splinter from a mortar shell at around 10:30am, said Bhimber Chaudhry Deputy Commissioner Guftar. The victim died on the spot.
In Samahni sector 10-year old girl Chaman Niaz studying in grade five was injured when she was on way to her school in Nihala Chahi village. She was, however, out of danger, Guftar said. According to Zaheeruddin Qureshi, head of the AJK’s State Disaster Management Authority, 46 civilians had lost their lives and another 262 were injured in AJK in Indian shelling in 2017.
Pertinently, the leadership of Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Forces had agreed at a conference in New Delhi in November last year that the “spirit” of the 2003 truce accord must be revived to protect innocent lives.
Published in Daily Times, January 20th 2018.
