Pakistan summons Indian envoy over ceasefire violations on LoC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Office on Friday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces in Chirikot and Nezapir sectors, in which two civilians were martyred and five others injured.

The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr Mohammad Faisal, 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.

Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2017, Indian forces have carried out more than 1300 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in the shahadats of 52 innocent civilians and injuries to 170 others, as compared to 382 ceasefire violations in 2016.

The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and 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.