MUZAFFARABAD: A woman was killed in cross-border firing from the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) late on Friday night.
Twenty-two year old Munazza Bibi died in her home at Lawana Khetar village. She was mother of a two-year-old child.
According to a police official, the victim was shot by a sniper from an Indian army post across the LoC when she switched on a torch to search for something in the veranda of her house. The bullet pierced her head and she died on the spot, he added.
Bibi’s casualty has raised the death toll in Azad Kashmir in the ongoing year to 27 — 19 men and 8 women.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office on Saturday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to lodge protest over the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Bhimbar Sector.
“The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, 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,” said Director General (SA & SAARC) Dr Mohammad Faisal.
He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement, investigate it and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.
He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
Apart from them, another 146 — 77 men and 69 women — have sustained injuries.
Cross-border shelling in the current year has also left at least 29 houses partially damaged and three houses and a shop completely damaged.
Though India and Pakistan are signatories to a November 2003 truce, the LoC and Working Boundary have consistently witnessed ceasefire violations for more than two years now.
In May this year, the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan had agreed to undertake “sincere measures” to improve the existing situation, ensure peace and avoid difficulties for civilians living close to the LoC and the Working Boundary.
They had also agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit and ensure that the ceasefire would not be violated by both sides.
However, ceasefire violations and sniper attacks have not stopped despite the agreement.
Of late, apart from exchange of fire with small and big arms, Indian troops have started using snipers in their attacks from across the LoC.
