ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday summoned Indian Charge d’ Affairs Gaurav Ahluwalia and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.
Dr Mohammad Faisal, the director general (SA & Saarc) at the ministry, urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the working boundary.
The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars, and automatic weapons, which still continues. The most recent ceasefire violations occurred, in Khuiratta Sector on September 6.
The Indian forces deliberately targeted innocent civilian participants of peaceful rallies organised to show solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir.
As a result, four innocent civilians, Iftikhar, 35, Raheel, 20, Farhan, 20, and Adeel, sustained serious injuries.
This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations is continuing from 2017, when Indian forces committed 1,970 ceasefire violations. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, the ceasefire violations by India were a threat to regional peace and security and might lead to a strategic miscalculation.
Dr Faisal urged India to instruct its forces to respect the ceasefire and investigate these and other incidents of ceasefire violations. He also urged that the Indian side should permit Unmogip to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.