- Two civilians were martyred and four wounded when India shelled Chirikot sector Thursday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan recorded a protest with the Indian deputy high commissioner on Friday over the killing of two civilians from Indian shelling targeting a funeral in Chirikot sector along the Line of Control on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Director General (SA & SAARC) Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian envoy JP Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces on December 7 (Thursday) by the Indian forces in Chirikot sector, Chaffar village while a funeral prayer was being offered, resulting in the martyrdom of two civilians (Shaukat and Iqbal), and injuries to four others.
The FO statement said that despite calls for restraint, India continued to indulge in ceasefire violations. “In 2017 to date, Indian forces have carried out more than 1300 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in the shahadats of 54 innocent civilians and injuries to 174 others, as compared to 382 ceasefire violations in 2016,” it added.
The FO said that the deliberate targeting of civilians, now even at funerals, was indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India were a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation, it added.
The director general (SA & SAARC) urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this 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.
