Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh over the killing of a civilian due to unprovoked firing at the Line of Control (LoC) a day earlier.

The Foreign Office (FO) in a press release said that a strong protest was lodged against the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 19-20 by the Indian occupation forces on the LoC in Karela Sector, which resulted in the martyrdom of 28-year-old civilian Abdul Rehman. Twelve civilians, including children and women, were also injured.

“It was conveyed that the Indian side must investigate the incident and share the findings with Pakistan, India must instruct its troops to respect the Ceasefire, in letter and spirit, refrain from intentionally targeting the villages and maintain peace and stability on the LoC,” the FO said.

Pakistan also noted with deep concern that during the last couple of months, there have been a number of ceasefire violations from the Indian side on the LoC and the Working Boundary.

Sources said Pakistan handed over a demarche to JP Singh containing details regarding losses. The demarche asked New Delhi to avoid targeting civilians residing across the LoC. Pakistan also handed over a demarche to representatives of the United Nations Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan.

Separately, the FO spokesman welcomed the offer by US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to ease tensions between Pakistan and India

“We continue to urge our American friends, including those in the administration and Congress, to play their due role in resolving bilateral issues between Pakistan and India, particularly the Kashmir dispute,” Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a weekly media briefing at the Foreign Office.

In an interview with Hindustan Times last week, Trump said he would be pleased to be a mediator between Pakistan and India.

Zakaria said Pakistan was closely monitoring the developments concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, and added that any violation of the accord by India would be unacceptable. “Pakistan will take stern legal action… [in case of] violation of any of the agreements signed with India.”

He said that India had violated the ceasefire agreement more than 90 times in 2016 alone. Pakistan handed over a demarche to representatives of the United Nations Military Observers group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), protesting against the Indian Army’s targeting of Pakistani civilians across the Line of Control (LoC), he said.

Condemning the LoC violations by India, he said that Pakistan would reply to all such aggressions in a befitting manner.

The FO spokesman said that the Indian prime minister’s statements on Balochistan and former East Pakistan were proof of Indian interference in Pakistan.