FO summons Indian envoy after ‘unprovoked’ LoC ceasefire violations kill 2 civilians

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ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to lodge a protest against fresh ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) on July 22 and July 23.

According to an FO statement , on July 22, cross-border firing in the Bogsar sector had caused the death of a 12-year-old boy, Muhammad Riaz, while another 18-year-old Zabi Ullah had sustained serious injuries.

On 23 July 2019, in Hotspring, Jandrot and Banchirian Sectors along LoC, a civilian Jan Bibi was martyred while three civilians Naseem and Parveen Bibi from Hot Spring Sector and Khalid from Banchirian sector sustained serious injuries.

The Indian forces along the LoC and the working boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations.

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.

The Director-General (SA & SAARC) urged India to respect the ceasefire arrangement; investigate these 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 the United Nations Military Observer Group in India & Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.