Pakistan, India DGMOs rush as border tension escalates

WASIM IQBAL & ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: A hotline contact was established between Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan after the latest Indian provocation and a strong protest was lodged with the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh who was summoned to the Foreign Office after the Indian troops targeted a civilian bus along the LoC which resulted in the martyrdom of nine civilians and injuring to nine others.

According to ISPR, discussing a single-point agenda, the Pakistan DGMO demarched his Indian counterpart for targeting civilians' bus by Indian troops along the LoC on Pakistan side. "We reserve the right to respond at the place and time of our choosing," the DGMO was quoted by the ISPR as having conveyed to his Indian counterpart.

The ISPR, earlier, said that one Pakistan Army officer and two soldiers also embraced martyrdom while responding to the Indian troops' unprovoked firing on the LoC. The martyred soldiers included Captain Taimoor Ali Khan, Havaldar Mushtaq Hussain and Lance Naik Ghulam Hussain.

The military spokesperson also maintained that Pakistan Army befittingly responded and killed seven Indian soldiers.

According to Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, the Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh and strongly condemned the unprovoked cease-fire violations on Wednesday by the Indian occupation forces on the LoC, in Dhudnial sector, by intentionally targeting a civilian bus, resulting in the martyrdom of nine innocent civilians and injuries to nine others.

The Director General stated that the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas, villages, the ambulances and the civilian transport is deplorable and below human dignity.

The Director General further deplored the belligerent targeting of the ambulance which was rescuing the affectees of the attack on the bus, as a blatant violation of International Humanitarian Law.

The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Cease-fire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of cease-fire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the cease-fire, in letter and spirit; stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the LoC.

India is continuing with its unprovoked firing on all sectors along the Line of Control including Shah Kot, Jura, Buttal, Kairla, Bagh, Tatta Pani, Neelum Valley and Keran, targeting civilian population as well as positions of Pakistan Army.

In the last 75 days, according to the sources, as many as 200 Indian cease-fire violations have been recorded and the Indian High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner have been summoned for more than a dozen times.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the region can come under fire due to India's warmongering. He also claimed that that in today's clash Indian Army suffered more losses. Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the Indian firing which is targeting innocent civilians. Bilawal called upon the United Nations to take notice of Indian cease-fire violations at the LoC and the killing of innocent people.

APP adds: As many as 10 people were killed and scores of others injured as a result of unprovoked firing by the Indian troops in various sectors on this side of the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu Kashmir on Wednesday, official sources said.

The Indian troops, without any provocation, started resorting to unprovoked shelling right from the advent of dawn on Wednesday in various sectors including the Neelam valley, Bhimbher and Kotli districts of Azad Jammu Kashmir targeting the civil population, the civil administration officials of the concerned districts confirmed to APP.

Pakistan Army responded to the unprovoked Indian firing in a befitting manner, the officials said quoting the concerned authorities.

"Indian troops also fired on an ambulance which went to evacuate the victims," the sources added.

According to Neelam valley police, a coaster bearing number MDAJK-3866 was heading towards Muzaffarabad from Kel when it was attacked by mortar shells fired by Indian troops near Lawat Kanari Bala, some 100 kilometres away from Muzaffarabad.

Pakistan Army retaliated and attacked Indian forces' posts, silencing their guns.

The sources said Indian forces resorted to firing and shelling in Shahkot, Jura, Battal Karela, Bagh, Baghsar and hot spring sectors targeting civilian population.

Pakistani troops targeting Indian posts. An intense exchange of firing continues, it added.

Those killed in the Indian firing were identified as Mukhtar Shah, Muhammad Younas, Ahmad and Arif Mustafai while body of a child is yet to be identified.

Those injured in the incident were identified as Raja Gulfam, driver of the coach, police personnel Bashir Ahmad, Shafi Bhat, Sultan, Fazl Hussain, Manzoor Ahmad, Jawad Sultan, Imran and Sharafat Shah.

In a similar incident, a motorcyclist died after being hit by an Indian mortal shell in Karen area of the Neelum valley.

The Indian troops also resorted to unprovoked firing in Bandala, Chahawalian in Samani sector in Bhimbher district besides Tattapani and Karaila Majhan sector in Kotli districts.

Injured have been shifted to nearest district and divisional headquarter hospitals in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions.

India has violated the cease-fire for 230 times during last few months by resorting to unprovoked firing on LoC targeting forward populous areas of AJK, official sources said.

At least 41 civilians were martyred and 127 others were injured as a result of the Indian aggression and violation of the LoC and the working boundary as the Indian troops also violated the cease-fire for 38 times on the working boundary, the sources underlined.

Meanwhile, Speaker AJK legislative assembly Shah Ghulam Qadir Wednesday vehemently condemned the attack by Indian troops on the passenger bus in Neelam valley on Wednesday and described it the blatant aggression of the Indian military establishment.

Qadir appealed to the United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) stationed in Muzaffarabad and Rawalpindi to take the notice of killing of civilians on the LoC.