Islamabad:  Pakistan on Friday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to protest over the alleged “unprecedented escalation” of ceasefire violations by the Indian troops along the Line of Control (LoC) that it said killed a boy and injured 16 other civilians.
The Pakistan Foreign Office said that Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Ahluwalia and “condemned” the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the LoC in Sharda, Nezapir, Satwal and Bagsar sectors on October 10.
Faisal said a 10-year-old boy was killed while 16 others civilians, including six children and two women, sustained serious injuries due to the indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the India Army in Sharda Sector.
Further, two civilians were injured in Nezapir, three, including a child and a woman, in Satwal, and one civilian in Bagsar Sector.
“The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1,970 violations,” the foreign office said.
Faisal, also the foreign office spokesperson, said the deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws.
“The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” he said.
He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement; investigate these and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.
Pakistan last week too had summoned Ahluwalia to protest over alleged ceasefire violations by the Indian forces.

Press Trust of India