Pakistan summoned Acting Indian Deputy High Commissioner on Friday and lodged a strong protest with him on the repeated Indian ceasefire violations including the latest in Kot Kotera Sector, resulting in martyrdom of a 65-year-old lady, Foreign Office said. In a statement, it stated that Director General South Asia and SAARC Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned the Acting Indian Deputy High Commissioner and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian forces on 11th January 2018 in Kot Kotera Sector.
Despite calls for restraint, it stated that India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2018 the Indian forces have carried out more than 70 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 12 days, resulting in the martyrdom of one innocent civilian and injuries to five others, the statement added. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India has been continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations.
The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws, it stated, adding the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. The Director General South Asia and SAARC urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.