Pakistan summons diplomat over ceasefire violations

Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said that the Indian forces resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violations in Nezapir and Rakhchikri sectors Thursday, resulting in serious injuries to six innocent civilians.

Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces, she said that a 14 years old Faiza, 10 years old Seerat, 7 years old Aaiza and their mother Sona Bibi, residents of Degwar Naran village; 44 years old Abdul Majeed resident of Mandhar village; and 22 years old Muhammad Yasir, resident of Kirni village, sustained serious injuries.

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

In 2020, India has so far committed 989 ceasefire violations, she added.

Condemning the deplorable targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, she said that 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," Farooqui said, adding that the Indian side was told that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

The spokesperson further stated that 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.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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