Pakistan summons Indian envoy JP Singh over alleged ceasefire violations along LoC

Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh after one civilian was killed and three others injured in alleged ceasefire violations along the Line of Control by Indian troops. The Foreign Office claimed that Indian forces resorted to “unprovoked firing” on Leepa Sector on 21 July which killed Umair (12) and injured three civilians in Gheekot village. [caption id=“attachment_3799991” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr Mohammad Faisal, summoned Singh and “condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces,” it said. “The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” Faisal said. He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC. This was the third ceasefire violation by the Indian forces in the past four days, the Foreign Office said. It alleged that despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. In 2017 to date, Indian forces have carried out 618 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, it claimed. Faisal also urged India to permit United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions. According to the UN Security Council mandate of 1971, UNMOGIP observes and reports on ceasefire violations along and across the LoC and the Working Boundary between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as reports developments that could lead to ceasefire violations. India maintains that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control.