Pakistan summons India's deputy high commissioner to protest 'ceasefire violations' along LoC

Islamabad: Pakistan on Saturday summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh in Islamabad for the fifth time in a month and condemned alleged firing across Line of Control by Indian forces. The Pakistan Foreign Office said Director General (SA & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh over “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by Indian forces on 23 February in Nikial sector. Faisal said the firing killed a man in Thurti Narr village located some 1,200 meters from the LoC and three other people were injured. [caption id=“attachment_4365489” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] The Foreign Office had earlier summoned India’s deputy high commissioner on 5, 15, 20 and 22 February. “This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when Indian forces committed more than 1,970 ceasefire violations,” he claimed. He said the alleged ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. Pakistani troops on Saturday fired mortar shells targeting villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, Indian police said. “Pakistani troops fired mortar shells and small arms from across the border in the Lam area of the Nowshera sector around 6.15 pm,” a police official said. He said Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for 15 minutes. There was no casualty reported in the Pakistani firing, the official said.