Pakistan on Monday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to condemn the alleged “unprovoked ceasefire violations” across the Line of Control, which resulted in the death of a woman, PTI reported.
The Foreign Office in a statement said that Director General Mohammad Faisal, who is also the foreign ministry spokesperson, summoned Ahluwalia.
The statement said that firing in the Nezapir sector killed a woman in Mandhar village and injured three others on Sunday. Another civilian was also injured on the same day due to firing in the Kailer Sector along the Line of Control, it said.
This came after a 10-day-old baby died on Sunday night hours after he was injured in cross-border firing in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. His mother Fatima Jan and a 40-year-old civilian, named as Mohammad Arif, were referred to Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment.
Pakistani soldiers had allegedly fired mortars and small arms, targeting forward posts and village areas of Shahpur, Saujiyan and Mendhar sectors. In the firing that went on from 5 pm to 10 pm, several houses were reportedly damaged. The Indian Army had also retaliated after the ceasefire violations but casualties on the Pakistan side was not announced.
Faisal alleged that Indian forces along the LoC and the working boundary were “continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons”. “This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violation,” the statement added.
The spokesperson said that the alleged ceasefire violations by India were a threat to regional peace and security and may also lead to a strategic miscalculation.
He urged the Indian side to follow the 2003 ceasefire arrangement in letter and spirit and maintain peace along the Line of Control. He asked India to investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations.
On July 22, an Indian Army jawan was killed after Pakistan allegedly violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.
On July 1, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said that 1,248 cases of ceasefire violations and four casualties had been reported by the Army this year. Singh said that 203 cases of ceasefire violation were reported in January while 215 were reported in February.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!