- Gen Bajwa briefed on frequent ceasefire violations by India
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) on Monday visited forward troops deployed at Line of Control (LoC), according to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement issued here.
He was apprised of the recent abnormally frequent ceasefire violations from the Indian side and effective response by Pakistani troops. The army chief was told that the only restraint faced by troops was the professional ethos of the Pakistan Army which barred them from responding in kind when Indian troops target innocent civilians.
General Bajwa lauded the motivation and spirit of the troops, stating that there was no better way to celebrate independence than defending the country. He said that the Indian Army’s atrocities had not been able to deter the spirit and sacrifices of the brave Kashmiri people.
“We will always stand with them in their just struggle against repression,” he said. On arrival in Azad Kashmir, the army chief was received by Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Nadeem Raza.
RECEPTION: General Bajwa also hosted an Independence Day reception for retired officers and soldiers. The reception is a regular annual event on August 14 where serving and retired officers and soldiers celebrate the day together. The participants payed tribute for recent operations against terrorism which brought smiles for the nation to celebrate this day in such unprecedented manner.
LOC FIRING: Azad Kashmir police confirmed that two civilians were wounded after Indian troops hit a vehicle from across the Line of Control. “A Suzuki van was coming to Hajira from Goi area of Kotli when it was targeted by the Indian troops near Madarpur at about 2pm, without any provocation,” the local administration said.
As a result, two persons on board the vehicle were injured. The LoC has been witnessing regular attacks which have left scores of civilian dead or wounded in Azad Kashmir. Indian troops have been targeting civilian houses as well as vehicles on this side of the LoC.
Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) head Zaheeruddin Qureshi said that as many as 39 civilians were killed and another 132 injured in Indian shelling in the state in 2016. In the ongoing year, 24 civilians have so far lost their lives to India’s unprovoked and indiscriminate shelling, while another 170 have received injuries, he said.
