ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said two of its civilians were killed and seven injured in Indian shelling in the disputed Kashmir region. Senior government official Raja Tahir Mumtaz said the incident occurred in the Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC). “These civilians were sleeping in their houses, one of the dead was a 65-year old,” Mumtaz said, adding that four women were among those injured. Ashfaq, a police official in the area, added that several houses were also damaged due to the mortar fire.
Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakariya confirmed the deaths in a press briefing on Thursday and accused India of carrying out unprovoked ceasefire violations. He said the latest Indian unprovoked firing on the line of control resulted in the martyrdom of two civilians and injuries to seven others, and added India was using different tactics to malign the purely indigenous freedom movement of the Kashmiri people. He, however, said India will never succeed in its attempts as the movement was being led by the Kashmiri people. He said that peace, stability and development will remain elusive in the region without the resolution of the outstanding dispute between Pakistan and India.
Meanwhile, Director General (SA and SAARC) Dr Faisal on Thursday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to protest over the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces. “Indian forces started firing at 7:15 am on the Line of Control in Battal, Jandrot and Kotli sectors, resulting in the martyrdom of one civilian, Ghizar Ahmed, and injuries to four others including three women (Jamil Akmal, Sana, Asma and Fareha) in Battal sector and martyrdom of one civilian, Fazal Hussain, and injuries to Jamil Ahmed in Kotli sector. The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed condemnable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” the Indian envoy was told.
