Indian diplomat summoned to protest ceasefire violation

ISLAMABAD: A senior Indian diplomat was Friday summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian security forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on September 17.

Owing to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Hotspring and Jandrot Sectors of the LoC, 15-year-old Irum Riaz, 26-year-old Nusrat Kausar, and 16-year-old Mukheel, residents of Andrala Nar Village, sustained serious injuries, a Foreign Office statement said.

The Foreign Office condemned the targeting of innocent civilians and said such senseless acts were a clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and also against all the established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. "These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security," the statement said.

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 (IOJ&K). The 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 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.