Daily Times

Pakistan on Monday lodged strong protest with India on unprovoked firing by its security forces at the Line of Control (LoC) and summoned its high-ranking diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Director General South Asia and SAARC Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri summoned Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia at the Foreign Office and registered protest over the ceasefire violations in Kotkotera and Karela sectors, killing a civilian, Ishtiaque, 24.

The director general termed the ‘senseless Indian acts’ a threat to regional peace and security, and in clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding. “India cannot divert attention from the worsening human rights violations taking place in the Indian-held Kashmir,” he stressed, and called upon the Indian side to respect the ceasefire understanding, investigate incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.

The DG South Asia and SAARC also urged India to permit the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

Ishtiaque, a resident of Chowki village in Khuiratta district, was martyred due to unprovoked Indian firing in Kotkotera and Karela sectors along the LoC on Saturday.