ISLAMABAD: Four Pakistan Army soldiers were martyred on Thursday as Indian security forces resorted to unprovoked shelling across the Line of Control in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s, according to a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
“Troops were busy with maintenance of a communication line when they were fired upon and hit by [a] heavy mortar round in Jandrot sector,” the ISPR said.
“Three Indian soldiers were killed and a few injured in the exchange of fire,” it added.
Later in the day, the Foreign Office summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to register protest against the incident.
FO Spokesperson Dr Faisal told the Indian diplomat that ceasefire violations by India were a threat to the regional peace and security. “India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations despite calls for restraint which may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” he told the Indian envoy.
“Deliberately targeting civilian populated areas and troops carrying out maintenance activities is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws,” the Foreign Office maintained in a statement issued here.
“The Indian side was urged to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate the latest violation and other such incidents and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary,” the statement added.
Last week too, the Foreign Office had summoned acting Indian deputy high commissioner and lodged protest over unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian forces. Hussain Bibi, 65, w/o Haji Farzand, resident of Peer Khana village, was killed last Thursday when the Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing, targeting Pakistani check-posts in Kot Kotera Sector in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Foreign Office Director General (SA & SAARC) Dr Faisal had told the Indian diplomat that deliberate targeting of civilians was deplorable and contrary to the human dignity as well as international human rights and humanitarian laws. He had also urged the Indian side to permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
According to the Foreign Office, Indian forces committed more than 70 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary in the current year, in which at least one civilian died and five people were injured.
Ceasefire violations are a frequent feature along the LoC and Working Boundary despite the leadership of Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Forces agreeing in November 2017 that the spirit of the 2003 ceasefire agreement must be revived to protect innocent lives.
Unprovoked firing by Indian forces across the LoC had taken 832 lives, left 3,000 injured and had damaged 3,300 houses in the first half of 2017, according to Disaster Management Authority Director General Zaheeruddin Qureshi.
The latest incident of cross-border firing comes days after Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat threatened to call Pakistan’s ‘nuclear bluff’ in a statement regarded as reckless and irresponsible by the Pakistani civilian and military leadership.
Also on Monday, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by Indian security forces along the Line of Control, resulting in martyrdom of four security personnel of Pakistan.
The prime minister paid tributes to the sacrifices of the security personnel for the motherland.
In an interview to Radio Pakistan, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Faisal said India will not succeed in silencing Kashmiris’ voice through military might.
He said responding to Indian army chief’s threatening statement against Pakistan.
The spokesperson said the only solution to the Kashmir issue was holding of a UN-sponsored plebiscite in the occupied territory as promised in the resolutions of the Security Council.
Dr Faisal said recent statements emanating from India indicated New Delhi’s frustration as their coercive policies in Held Kashmir were not working.
Published in Daily Times, January 16th 2018.
