‘Indian COAS wants his men killed to please his masters’

RAWALPINDI/MUZAFFARABAD: Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Friday said the Indian Army chief was reportedly provoking war through his irresponsible statements endangering regional peace for electioneering of his political masters.

"From fake surgical strike to-date, his only success has been to turn the Indian army into a rogue force and get them killed," he said on twitter.

He said General BipinRawat’s statement coupled with the blood of innocent people on hands, losses to Indian forces at the hands of Pakistan armed forces, heli crashes due to so-called technical fault cum fratricide just to become Indian CDS was actually at the cost of professional military ethos.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Friday said the Indian troops opened unprovoked firing in Shahkot and Khuiratta Sectors at the Line of Control, resulting in the martyrdom of three civilians and injuries to three others.

The indiscriminate and unprovoked firing resulted in the martyrdom of three civilians namely Ilm Din, Gul Zarin and Sultan, all residents of Lala village in Athmaqam Tehsil of Neelum.

Iqra, 4, a resident of Jugulpur village in Tehsil & District Khuiratta, sustained serious injuries. Deputy Commissioner Muzaffarabad Raja Shahid Mehmood said the Pakistani troops returned the fire when Indian shells struck homes Thursday in Neelum Valley.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry said Director General South Asia and Saarc Dr Mohammad Faisal Friday summoned Indian Chargé D'affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia and lodged a protest with him over the latest civilian casualties and unprovoked ceasefire violations by the India troops.

Dr Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate 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.

“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,” he said.

He called upon India to permit UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons, which still continues. There was no immediate comment from India.