Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Friday summoned acting Indian deputy high commissioner and lodged protest over unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian forces. Hussain Bibi, 65, w/o Haji Farzand, resident of Peer Khana village, was killed on Thursday when the Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing, targeting Pakistani check-posts in Kot Kotera Sector in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Foreign Office Director General (SA & SAARC) Dr Faisal told the Indian diplomat that despite calls for restraint, India continued to indulge in ceasefire violations.

Indian forces have carried out more than 70 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just first 12 days of this year which resulted in martyrdom of one innocent civilian and injuries to five others. The unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing since last year when its forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations. The Indian deputy high commissioner was told that deliberate targeting of civilians was deplorable and contrary to the human dignity as well as international human rights and humanitarian laws. The Foreign Office said that the ceasefire violations by India were a threat to the regional peace and security and may lead to a ‘strategic miscalculation’. The director general urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate 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 said that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

Published in Daily Times, January 13^th 2018.