A senior Indian diplomat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to register Pakistan’s strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation Forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on 12th November 2020, resulting in the death of one civilian and serious injuries to three others.
According to the Foreign Office, due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Rakhchikri and Khanjar Sector of the LoC, 55 year old Muhammad Bashir son of Shah Wali, resident of Tari Band village Rakhchikri Sector were killed; 23 year old Naveed Iqbal son of Haji Iqbal; 45 year old Farzana Kausar wife of Haji Iqbal and 19 year old Tayyabah Kausar wife of Naveed Iqbal, residents of Samni village Khanjar Sector, sustained serious injuries.
The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) have been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. This year, India has committed 2729 ceasefire violations to date, resulting in 21 deaths and serious injuries to 206 innocent civilians, said the FO.
Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by Indian occupation forces, the Foreign Office made clear that such acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, and 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, it continued. By raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), the Foreign Office said.
The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding and to investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations. It was urged to maintain peace along the LoC and the WB, while also allowing 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.
