Daily Times

A senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on 12th November 2020, resulting in the shahadat of one innocent civilian and serious injuries to three others.

Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Rakhchikri and Khanjar Sector of the LoC, 55-year-old Muhammad Bashir s/o Shah Wali, resident of Tari Band village Rakhchikri Sector embraced shahadat; 23-year-old Naveed Iqbal s/o Haji Iqbal; 45-year-old Farzana Kausar w/o Haji Iqbal and 19-year-old Tayyabah Kausar w/o Naveed Iqbal, residents of Samni village Khanjar Sector, sustained serious injuries.

The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 2729 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 21 shahadat and serious injuries to 206 innocent civilians.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, it was underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. These egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the LoC and are a threat to regional peace and security. It was added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).

The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. The Indian side was also urged to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.