Firing across LoC: FO summons Indian diplomat to lodge protest

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office once again summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner on Sunday to protest the repeated ceasefire violations by India across the Line of Control (LoC).

In a message on Twitter, the FO spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said the latest ceasefire violation occurred in Nikyal Sector across LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Jan 20, 21. Innocent villagers -- Dil Muhammad (33) and Nafeesa (25) -- were martyred as a result of the firing, the FO said.

Moreover, Sahiba Naseema and six-month-old Noor were injured in the firing and shifted to Kotli DHQ Hospital for treatment. 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.

The Director General South Asia and SAARC 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 at 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, the FO statement concluded.

Singh was summoned to the FO thrice before this week to protest similar violations.

In 2018, Indian forces have carried out more than 150 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 20 days resulting in the martyrdom of nine innocent civilians while injuring 40 others. In 2017, Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations.