Two Pak youth martyred in Indian firing along LoC

RAWALPINDI: The Indian troops initiated unprovoked firing by heavy weapons, including mortars, and targeted the civil population along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jandrot and Hot Spring sectors on Monday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), two citizens, Waqar Younas (18) and Asad Ali (19), residents of Bhabra village, embraced Shahadat while three others were injured due to Indian firing.

The injured included Muhammad Shahbaz, 30, resident of Bhabra village, Shumaila Khurshid, 35, and Hafsa Shabbir, 14, residents of Chakrali village. The Pakistan Army effectively responded to the firing on civilians. Reports of damage to Indian posts and casualties also surfaced, the ISPR informed.

Meanwhile, Director General (SA & Saarc) Dr Mohammad Faisal on Monday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces in Chirikot and Hot Spring sectors on June 10 and 12 respectively.

The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed condemnable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws, he said.

The director general urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire agreement, 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.  

Monitoring report adds: Following the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to record Pakistan's protest over the unprovoked firing by the Indian troops.

On Saturday, a 70-year-old man was martyred in unprovoked firing across the LoC by Indian troops in Chirikot. The same day, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the troops along the LoC in Muzaffarabad. The army chief was given a detailed briefing by local commanders regarding the operational situation, Indian ceasefire violations and response by Pakistani troops. During the visit, the Pakistani troops pledged that no Indian misadventure shall go without a befitting response.