ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Indian Charge d’affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Wednesday to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on December 22, 2020, resulting in one shahadat and serious injuries to three innocent civilians.
Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian forces in Hotspring and Jandrot Sectors of the LoC on December 22, 50-year-old Khadeeja, the wife of Abdul Rahman and a resident of Grid Janubi village, embraced shahadat.
Besides, 16-year-old Samar, the son of Muhammad Azeem and a resident of Grid Janubi village; 18-year-old Aneela Kausar, the daughter of Muhammad Pervez and a resident of Barmoch village; and 04-year-old Muhammad Seemab, the son of Muhammad Ramazan and a resident of Tanoon village, sustained serious injuries.
The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons.
In 2020, the Indian forces have carried out 3,012 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 28 shahadats and serious injuries to 253 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.
It was added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the Working Boundary, 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 Working Boundary.
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.
