Youth martyred as Indian troops target civilians along LoC

RAWALPINDI: A youth was martyred as Indian troops resorted to yet another cease fire violation on the Line of Control (LoC).

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Indian troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation targeting civil population using artillery, mortars and heavy weapons in Lipa Sector along the LoC late on Tuesday night. A youth, resident of Talwari village, was martyred due to Indian indiscriminate firing.

The Pakistan Army responded effectively to Indian firing by targeting those posts which initiated fire. Earlier, a 13-year-old girl was martyred in unprovoked firing by Indian troops in Bedori Sector on June 21. The Indian troops during the ongoing year since January have committed around 1,240 ceasefire violations.

APP adds: Indian charge d’affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LoC.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it was underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct, the Foreign Office spokesperson said. It further said these egregious violations of international law reflected consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and were a threat to regional peace and security. It was added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the Working Boundary, India could not divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LOC and the Working Boundary. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, it added.