Daily Times

Indian troops on February 15 targeted a school van in the Battal sector of the Azad Jammu & Kashmir, killing the driver on the spot and traumatising the students. The van was bringing back students from Mandhol to their homes in the Dharamsal area, where it was targeted by Indian troops. Mandhol and Dharamsal villages are located on the bank of River Poonch.

Responding to the Indian violations of LoC, Pakistan Army destroyed the Indian military’s post that targeted the civilians. Pakistani troops’ counter-fire resulted in the death of five Indian soldiers and their post being totally demolished. Multiple Indian soldiers were also injured.

According to a statement issued by the Pakistan FO, the Indian occupation forces deliberately targeted a school van carrying schoolchildren on the Battal-Madharpur road, resulting in the death of van’s driver, besides leaving the children severely traumatised. “India’s unethical and unprofessional approach across the LoC continues terrorising civilians,” said the Pakistan Army spokesman. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Asif Ghafoor reiterated that such attacks were a violation of the Geneva Convention and a clear violation of the Pakistan-India Ceasefire Agreement. He asserted that Pakistan will always respond to “Indian terrorism against innocent citizens.”

India’s ceasefire violations along the Line of Control have become a routine with over 150 violations since the start of this year. The violations have seen an increase after the Narendra Modi-led government came into power in India. In 2018, the Indian forces carried out more than 150 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary, resulting in the death of nine innocent civilians, while injuring 40 others. In 2017, the Indian forces committed more violations than previous years. In the first deadly incident since a truce was agreed a month ago, the Indians captured and killed a Pakistani soldier who inadvertently crossed the border, violating the understanding on release of such stranded soldiers.

Another Pakistan Army Soldier Havildar Mohyuddin was martyred as a result of unprovoked Indian firing at a Pakistani post named ‘Kundi’ in Hotspring sector of Batttal. As many as six people, including two children, were injured in Azad Jammu & Kashmir during different incidents of unprovoked Indian shelling of mortars from across the Line of Control. The shelling was done in Simti Majhan and Tarkundi villages of Nakyal sector in Kotli district. Pakistan army troops responded effectively to Indian ceasefire violations and targeted those posts which had initiated unprovoked firing. Ceasefire violations are a frequent feature along the LoC and Working Boundary despite the leadership of Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Forces agreeing in November 2017 that the ‘spirit’ of the 2003 Ceasefire Agreement must be revived to protect innocent lives.

In 2017, Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations. Total number of ceasefire violations from 2003 to 2013 was 1062. The number of violations in 2014 was 315, in 2015 248, in 2016 382 and 1881 in 2017. The highest number of CFV’s occurred is in 2017. There have been 300 martyrs and 1,121 injured during these years.

Hundreds of Kashmiri men, women and children confronting the might of Indian army, paramilitaries, and police have been killed in recent months. Many have been blinded by the use of pellet guns, and countless others arrested and subjected to extreme torture. Since the present phase of the uprising against Indian rule erupted in 1989, an estimated one hundred thousand Kashmiris have lost their lives. India has over the years regularly stepped up cross-LoC ceasefire violations. Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan and President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan have appealed to the international community and the UN to take a serious notice of the Indian ceasefire line violations at the LoC.

India has been deceitful to the world over many issues it is confronting internally. Also, due to certain political, economic and strategic reasons, majors powers in the world keep a soft corner for India

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the Prime Minister of AJK said Indian troops are particularly targeting schoolchildren, hospital vans and women and aged people at LoC. The UN military observers should take action and control the barbaric activities of Indian forces along the LoC. Pakistan should also highlight the issue of civilian killing along the border at the forum of UN. He said India’s aggressive designs are major threat to peace in South Asia. The world powers should pay attention to the core issue of Kashmir and resolve it in line with the UN Resolutions. AJK President Sardar Masood lauded the role of Pakistan Army to respond to the Indian firing in a befitting manner. He said the Indian troops always target innocent citizens including schoolchildren.

Sardar Masood said Pakistan Army knows how to respond to Indian firing but they remain peaceful and avoid hitting civilians. India is making its utmost efforts to divert the attention of the world from Kashmir dispute but remained failed so far. India is not even allowing anyone to intervene in resolving Kashmir dispute. However, Kashmir movement has gained momentum after killing of Burhan Wani and Sabzar Butt. The world has learnt about the real face of Indian secularism and its democracy. Indeed, India has been deceitful to the world over many issues, it is confronting internally besides its genocide acts of Kashmiri’s. Owing to political, economic and strategic reasons, there has been soft corner of the major powers and Europe for India over the years.

The Indian firing on the innocent people of AJK across the LoC is through a deliberate and well thought out strategy. This policy suits the Indian leadership; aims to do everything whatever they want, deceive the Indian masses on false slogans of attaining major power status, befool the international community of having secularism and democracy and a huge market for the global trade and commerce and finally blame Pakistan for all its ills. It’s the responsibility of the international community as well as the UN to take notice of the human rights violations and the criminal activities by India. Its high time that there should be a solution to Kashmir issue. India is targeting the civilian population and sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, it’s a threat to the entire region and peace and stability can only be maintained by resolving the Kashmir issue. The world must force India to put an immediate end to the ongoing bloodshed of innocent Kashmiris, and terrorism against innocent citizens.

The writer is freelance columnist based in Peshawar

Published in Daily Times, February 23^rd 2018.