Pakistan says Indian cross-border firing kills civilian

Source: Xinhua| 2018-11-01 23:41:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan said Thursday that Indian forces have killed a civilian along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir region.

The Foreign Ministry said the Indian forces fired along the LoC in Leepa Sector, resulting in the death of an 18-year old innocent civilian in Bijildar village.

The Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh was also summoned to the Foreign Ministry and protest was lodged over the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by the Indian forces, a statement said.

"The Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons," the statement said.

Giving update on the cross-border firing, the Foreign Ministry said in 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 2300 "ceasefire violations" along the LoC and the Working Boundary, resulting in the deaths of 34 civilians, while injuring 135 others.

"This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations," according to the statement.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC and the working boundary in 2003. Both, however, routinely accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

The Director General of South Asia and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) desk at the Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Faisal, who summoned the Indian diplomat, said the "deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws."

The director general urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, and instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.

He stressed that the Indian side should permit UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.