— FO summons Indian diplomat, condemns ceasefire violations, urges India to permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per UN resolutions
MUZAFFARABAD/ISLAMABAD: One person was reportedly killed and five others, including a woman and her son, were injured after Indian troops shelled villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu Kashmir’s (AJK) Haveli district on Monday.
“The Indian troops resorted to shelling at about 6am in Nezapir and Digwar sectors, using both small and heavy arms,” Haveli’s Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Kashif Hussain told reporters. “It is intermittent but fierce,” he added.
He said that shelling had so far left an elderly man identified as Muhammad Deen dead and his 25-year-old son Muhammad Jamil injured in Digwar village. In the same village, Tasneem Bibi, 34, her 12-year-old son Aqib, and Muhammad Javed, 35, were also injured, he added.
The deputy commissioner said that one Wali Mohammad was injured in the village Keirni in Nezapir sector. The injured persons were shifted to a military-run health facility in Forward Kahuta, the district headquarters of Haveli.
Soon after the beginning of shelling, all educational institutions were ordered to be shut down to avert any casualties of students and teachers, said the Haveli’s deputy commissioner. “Since there is no let up in the shelling, exact details of losses cannot be ascertained immediately,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces in Rukh Chakri and Rawalakot sectors, resulting in the martyrdom of three civilians, and injuries to five others.
This is the fifth ceasefire violation by the Indian forces in the past 12 days resulting in the martyrdom of 11 civilians, including five women, and injuries to 37 others. Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations.
In 2017 to date, Indian forces have carried out more than 900 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in the martyrdom of 43 innocent civilians and injuries to 153, as compared to 382 ceasefire violations in 2016.
“The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” the Foreign Office said.
Ministry’s Director General for South Asia & SAARC Dr Mohmmad Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of the ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC.
He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
