Indian diplomat summoned to register protest over LoC violations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan registered a "strong protest" after summoning a senior Indian diplomat to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its continued unprovoked aggression at the Line of Control (LoC) on Sunday. "A senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today (Sunday) to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the LoC on 5th September 2020, resulting in serious injuries to one innocent civilian," said a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO).

The FO noted that the Indian forces "have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons" along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB). It added that in 2020, so far, India has committed 2,158 ceasefire violations which had martyred 17 and had left 168 civilians with serious injuries.

"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," said the FO.

The FO noted that the "egregious violations of international law" were part of India's "consistent attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC," adding that they were also a threat to regional peace and security.

The senior Indian diplomat was told that India — by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB — cannot divert the world's attention from the grave human rights situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

The FO said that the Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 ceasefire understanding. The Indian diplomat was also asked to investigate Saturday's and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and 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," said the statement.

On Saturday, 19-year-old Muhammad Tariq, a resident of the Kirni Village in the Rakhchikri Sector of the LoC, was "seriously injured" after the Indian forces resorted to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing along the LoC.