Three more martyred in Indian firing

SIALKOT/ISLAMABAD: Three more civilians were martyred on Friday and 12, including five women, sustained injuries in unprovoked firing and shelling by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in different sectors on the Working Boundary here.

The BSF targeted Charwah, Chaprar, Harpal, Bajrah Garhi and other sectors. As a result, Muhammad Irfan, 24, in village Merajke and Wasim Akram, 30, and Bashir, 56 in village Charwah were martyred.

The 12 injured persons included Adnan (30), Zakir Hussain (35), 35-year-old wife of Asim, Qasim Raza (22), Samrah Arshad (30), Nasim Abbas (30), Rashida Bibi (50), Muhammad Nadeem (28), Rizwan (15), Abdul Ghani (60), Itran (24), Nazian Bibi (60), Muhammad Din (28) and Shamim Bibi (44).

They were rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH). The injured belonged to Merajke, Charwah, Bajra Garhi, Harpal Tangur, Raja Harpal and Harnawali villages where dozens of cattle were also killed and a number of buildings damaged.

Almost all educational institutions remained closed due to the firing and shelling continuing since Wednesday night with short intervals. Meanwhile, the Chenab Rangers also responded to the BSF in a befitting manner.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh again on Friday to protest unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India which on Friday saw a young man martyred and nine others injured along the Working Boundary in Sialkot Sector.

Women and some elderly persons were also among the injured. The Indian forces along the Working Boundary are continuously engaged in indiscriminate and unprovoked firing with heavy mortars and automatic weapons on the civilian populated villages for the last two days.

Pakistan says it has no desire to escalate the situation and has reacted with maximum restraint, while the Indian confrontational attitude is a threat to regional peace and security that may lead to a strategic miscalculation.

On Thursday, two women were killed, while five others, including three women, sustained gunshot wounds when the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) resorted to unprovoked firing along the Working Boundary in Sialkot.

Indian forces committed more than 1900 ceasefire violations in 2017. The Indian envoy was told that despite calls for restraint, their security forces continue to indulge in ceasefire violations.

“In the current year, the Indian forces have so far 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," the Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.

The Indian diplomat was told that deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas was indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.

“Ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. We urge 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," added the spokesman.

Meanwhile, the Indian External Affairs Ministry (EAM) on Friday summoned Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah to lodge a strong protest with him over the alleged ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Rangers leading to the death of a Border Security Force (BSF) trooper and two civilians.

Haider was told that the Pakistan Rangers had resorted to indiscriminate shelling and firing at 20 border outposts of the BSF along the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.