Pakistan summons Indian envoy, lodges protest over ceasefire violations

Pakistan summons Indian envoy, lodges protest over ceasefire violations

Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with India over its recent ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) which resulted in the martyrdom of an innocent civilian.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office (FO), the Indian Chargé d´Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday to register the protest.

The statement said the Indian occupation forces have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy caliber mortars and automatic weapons along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB).

This year, India has committed more than 2,840 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 27 shahadats and serious injuries to 245 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 are also 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,” the FO statement said.

The statement added that 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,” the FO statement said.