India escalating tension at LoC

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday said it had summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register a strong protest over the Indian ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC).

The statement by the FO said that in the unprovoked Indian firing across the LoC in Nezapir and Rakchikri sectors, six civilians were seriously injured.

“Owing to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces, 14-year-old Faiza, 10-year-old Seerat, 7-year-old Aaiza and their mother Sona Bibi, residents of Degwar Naran village; 44 years old Abdul Majeed, resident of Mandhar village; and 22-year-old Muhammad Yasir, resident of Kirni village, sustained serious injuries,” the FO statement read.

The FO added that the Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have continuously been targeting civilian areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons.

“In 2020, India has so far committed 989 ceasefire violations,” it maintained. The FO said that the blatant violations of the international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate tension along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security.

“Indian side was called upon respecting the 2003 ceasefire understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions,” the FO said. By raising tension along the LoC and WB, India is trying to divert attention from severe human rights violations in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, noted the FO.