Pakistan says Indian forces targeting civilian areas, summons envoy over 'unprovoked' ceasefire violations

Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh to protest against “unprovoked” ceasefire violations by Indian forces along the Line of Control. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh over “unprovoked ceasefire violations” on the LoC on Thursday in Padhar sector. [caption id=“attachment_4434229” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] He said the firing killed two civilians and injured two others. Faisal claimed that Indian forces along the LoC and the international border are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons. He alleged that India has carried out more than 1,000 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the international border in 2018 that has killed 23 people and injured 107 others. “This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations,” he said. The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws, Faisal said. He further said that the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. He urged India to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the international border. He also urged India to permit the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per UN Security Council resolutions. India maintains that the UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Shimla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.