Four more martyred by Indian firing on Working Boundary

SIALKOT: Four more civilians, including a woman and her minor son, were martyred and more than a dozen injured on Saturday when the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) resorted to unprovoked firing and shelling at different sectors in Sialkot along the Working Boundary.

The BSF targeted Bajwat, Chaprar, Charwah, Harpal and other sectors from late Thursday night and continued to the whole of Saturday, with short intervals.

Najaf Batool, 24, and her minor son Husnain Kazim, 3 of Paindoli village, Muhammad Sarwar, 45 in Bajwat village and Waheed Masih, 18, embraced martyrdom.

The injured people included Wajid Shah (22), Madiha Shah (20), Haider Shah (8), Rafaqat (15), Rangers official Naveed Anwer (32), Rukhsana Bibi (36), Mahran Bibi (75), Sakhawat (50), Muhammad Mushtaq (54), Mafiah Bibi (10), Tayyaba Bibi (24), Zainab Bibi (54), Shumaila Bibi (45) and several others belonging to Bajwat, Pindoli, Santhal, Thool Malane, Bakhtoli and other villages. All of them were shifted to the Combined Military Hospital.

Dozens of cattle were also killed and houses damaged by the Indian shelling. All the educational institutions in the affected areas were closed and dozens of families have started to temporarily shift to Sialkot and other safe places.

Meanwhile the Chenab Rangers also retaliated to the Indian firing in a befitting manner.

Agencies add: In a related development, the Foreign Office summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh on Saturday to condemn the unprovoked ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.

Director General South Africa and Saarc Dr Mohammad Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations.

The Indian envoy was asked to instruct their 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 to permit the UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. He said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.