Indian artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC) hit Pakistani army posts and villages, martyring a soldier, a woman and a 16-year-old girl, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Thursday.
In a statement, the ISPR said Indian troops initiated an unprovoked ceasefire violation in the villages of Kailer and Rakhchikri along the Line of Control on Wednesday night. It said Pakistani troops responded and there were reports of heavy losses to Indian troops. It said a 10-year-old boy and a woman were also wounded because of the Indian firing.
The martyred soldier was identified as Lance Naik Ali Baz, age 34, resident of District Karak, embraced shahadat.
In Kailer Sector, Indian troops targeted Pakistan Army posts with automatic and heavy weapons, the ISPR said. In Rakchikri Sector, Indian Army troops deliberately targeted civilian population. Due to indiscriminate fire in Kirni village, a girl, 16, and a woman age 52 years were martyred.
The Foreign Ministry said Thursday it summoned an Indian diplomat in Islamabad in protest and conveyed to New Delhi that such ceasefire violations are posing a threat to regional peace and security. Indian Charge d’ Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned by Director General South Asia and SAARC Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri. Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the DG underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding. The widespread disregard by India for international human rights and international norms are further vitiating the tense environment, and are posing a serious threat to regional peace and security, he said, adding that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian valley of Kashmir.
Separately, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said Indian forces are particularly targeting Kashmiri youth in the occupied valley under the guise of cordon-and-search operations. During a weekly media briefing in Islamabad, she said in April alone, 29 innocent Kashmiris were martyred, including seven since the onset of Ramazan. She said the Indian occupational forces are allowed to operate with complete impunity in the occupied valley under draconian laws such as Public Safety Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act, adding that harassment and intimidation of Kashmiri journalists has further intensified under the notorious and unlawful acts.
The spokesperson said India has repeatedly tried to divert world attention from state terrorism and grave human rights situation in Kashmir by allegations of infiltration attempts by Pakistan and unfounded claims of targeting launch pads across the Line of Control. She said Pakistan categorically rejects all such claims by India.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also said on Thursday that the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committing war crimes in the occupied valley under the cover of pandemic. In a statement on Twitter, the prime minister said that India is violating the Fourth Geneva Convention by continuing the genocide of the people of occupied valley. “Under cover of COVID19 global pandemic, the Modi Govt with its fascist Hindutva Supremacist RSS-driven ideology continues its war crimes in IOJK,” he said in a post on Twitter. “…as it violates the Fourth Geneva Convention by continuing its genocide of Kashmiris: & by attempting to change the demography in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir,” he added.
Imran Khan said that the occupied valley is recognised as a disputed territory by the United Nations and the international community has a responsibility to take note of Indian war crimes there. “…a territory recognised as disputed by UN. The international community has a responsibility to take note of & act against these war crimes by India in violations of 4th Geneva Convention & int humanitarian laws.”
