Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr Faisal on Friday summoned Indian High Commission Charge d’affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Shahkot and Khuiratta sectors a day earlier.
The indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by Indian army had resulted in killing of three civilians, Ilm Din, Gul Zarin and Sultan, residents of village Lala, Tehsil Athmaqam, Neelum district. Also, a child, Iqra, 4, resident of village Jugulpur, Khuiratta, had sustained serious injuries.
Dr Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate 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. “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,” he said.
He called upon India to permit UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
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. The unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations.
