Indian diplomat summoned for LoC ceasefire violation

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Monday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia after three civilians were injured in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the unprovoked firing of Indian troops who targetted civilian-populated neighbourhoods along the Line of Control (LoC) Sunday night.

According to an FO statement, due to indiscriminate firing by the Indian troops in Hotspring sector, 27-year-old Naema Akhtar, 24-year-old Zaeen Akhtar and 16-year-old Arbaz Ali — residents of Sehra Village — sustained injuries.

The Indian forces have been “targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-calibre mortars and automatic weapons” along the LoC and the Working Boundary, the statement added.

This year, the Indian side has committed 2,245 ceasefire violations, in which 18 people have died and at least 180 civilians have been injured, FO said.

The FO emphasised that such “senseless acts” were a violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding as well as “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 press release read. It further stated that the violations “cannot divert attention from the grave human situation” in Indian occupied Kashmir.

The FO called upon the Indian side to investigate the recent, as well as previous, incidents of ceasefire violations. It also stressed that the Indian forces must maintain peace along the LoC and Working Boundary.