A senior diplomat from the High Commission of India was summoned to the Foreign Office, today, to register Pakistan’s strong protest at the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nezapir Sector on 25th February, 2020. Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by Indian occupation forces, a 40 year old innocent civilian Muhammad Bashir s/o Nazar Din, resident of village Mandhar, sustained serious injuries.
The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons, which still continues. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations. This year India has committed 384 ceasefire violations to date.
The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.
Pakistan urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate these 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. It was emphasized that by raising tensions along the LoC, India cannot divert attention from the worsening human rights situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K). Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
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