ISLAMABAD - Pakistan on Sunday told India that its attempts to deflect international attention from the bloodshed in held Kashmir by heating up situation at the Line of Control (LoC) will fail as Islamabad once again summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh over continuous ceasefire violations at the LoC.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned JP Singh for the second time in two days over Indian troops’ violations at the LoC, and a strong protest was lodged over the death of three more civilians in the unprovoked firing by the Indian forces.
According to a Foreign Office statement, the Director General South Asia and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Dr Mohammad Faisal presented the charge sheet to J P Singh and condemned further unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces in Chirikot and Satwal Sectors on July 8, resulting in the death of another three civilians - two women in Tetri Note village and one women in Chaffar Village. Another civilian was injured.
“The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” Faisal told the Indian diplomat. The director general urged India 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.
Faisal said that the Indian side should permit the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its role mandated under the UN Security Council resolutions. Tension between Pakistan and India has been running high since July after the killing of freedom fighter Burhan Wani.
The occupant Indian forces killed dozens of protesters to quell the agitation that followed.
Later, the Uri attack in which 19 Indian soldiers died caused more tension.
Pakistan and the Kashmiris observed Wani’s death anniversary this week promoting India to fire along the LoC.
Pakistan and India have been involved in four wars - including one undeclared war - since partition of British India in 1947 and many border skirmishes and military stand-offs.
Kashmir has been the main cause of tension with the exception of the 1971 war where the conflict originated due to turmoil in erstwhile East Pakistan - now Bangladesh. This year, the conviction of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav added to the tension. A Pakistani military court had sentenced the Indian spy to death in April.
Jadhav, a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent, was found guilty of terrorism and espionage.
New Delhi however, claims he was kidnapped from Iran last year.
The trial against Jhadav was conducted under the Pakistan Army Act 1952 and Official Secret Act of 1923.
New Delhi approached the International Court of Justice, and the ICJ asked Pakistan to stay Jadhav’s execution until a final verdict.
On Sunday, a Pakistani cancer patient woman also pleaded to Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help her get a medical visa after the Indian High Commission refused the application.
Faiza Tanveer is suffering from a recurrent ameloblastoma and plans to visit the Inderprastha Dental College and Hospital in Ghaziabad.
She has already paid Rs1 million for the treatment.
The Indian High Commission rejected her visa application, citing Pakistan-India tension and asked her to contact Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz to write to Swaraj.
Pakistani authorities meanwhile, released 78 Indian fishermen held for trespassing into its territorial waters. The freed fishermen are expected to cross over into India today (July 10) through the Wagah border.
