ISLAMABAD: The civil and military leadership on Monday strongly deplored the continuous ceasefire violations by the Indian forces which on Sunday night saw seven Pakistani soldiers killed in Thub near the Bhimber area, with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif directing his soldiers at the Line of Control (LoC) to ‘effectively’ respond to India’s unprovoked firing across the border, promising that his army would continue to respond effectively and leave no stone unturned to defend the motherland.
Pakistan impressed upon India that these continuous violations could lead to “a strategic miscalculation”.As Raheel Sharif honoured his dead soldiers by attending their funeral ceremony in Jhelum, he also attended a briefing on the latest situation, including the continuous unprovoked ceasefire by India.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, reacting to the latest Indian brutality, regretted that “certain extremist elements which had come into power in India could become a source of destruction not only for their own country but also the whole region”.
While the Foreign Office summoned the Indian high commissioner, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reacted, saying: “It is extremely unfortunate that Indian forces have continuously violated ceasefire agreement at the LoC”.
Taking cognisance of the ground realities that the 2003 ceasefire agreement, which in reality is only an “understanding”, is not holding, Pakistan last month had once again asked India to formalise this agreement to end the firing at the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir region. India has ignored the proposal.
“Instead of accusing each other, it is better to formalise the 2003 (ceasefire) agreement. This proposal was kept before India, and (we) expect that at some point of time India accepts that proposal, so that this problem ends. We want there should be stability at the Line of Control and there should not be any firing. The proposals that our PM has presented are good and we hope that India will consider it,” Abdul Basit, Pakistan High Commissioner, reiterated last month.
Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif has directed the Foreign Office to urge the UNMOGIP to send an urgent report to the UN Security Council to inform them about the serious ceasefire violations on the LoC and unwarranted escalation of tension between the two countries.
“We are fully capable of defending our soil against any aggression. The Indian forces have resorted to escalating tension on the LoC only to detract the world’s attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Held Kashmir (IHK),” said the prime minister
He said that Indian forces have inflicted unspeakable atrocities against the unarmed and innocent people of IHK.
“There is an indigenous uprising against Indian occupation, and the Indian government is failing to read the writing on the wall. By creating tension at the LoC, the Indian forces are uselessly trying to divert the attention from the Kashmir issue,” added the PM.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawala and reminded him that that “this belligerent attitude of Indian occupation forces was a serious threat to the regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation”.
The foreign secretary deplored the increasing Indian ceasefire violations at the LoC and the Working Boundary, especially in the last two months. This was against the 2003 ceasefire understanding and the principles of international law, he emphasised.
The foreign secretary asked the Indian high commissioner to convey to his government that it must stop provocative firing and observe the ceasefire. He said Pakistan was pursuing a policy of restraint, which should not be construed as a sign of weakness. He underlined that the armed forces of Pakistan do not initiate fire, but will always respond in a befitting manner, if fired upon.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz has also condemned the unprovoked Indian firing on the LoC that has led to the Shahadat of seven Pakistani soldiers in Bhimber.
The adviser expressed grave concern over the recently increased frequency and duration of indiscriminate firing/shelling from the Indian side, deliberately targeting villages and civilian populated areas, which has resulted in the death of 26 civilians and injuries to 107, including women and children, in complete violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding and international law.
Also, Sardar Masood Khan, President Azad Jammu and Kashmir, strongly condemned the criminal firing in Thub at the LoC near Bhimber by the Indian Army.
The AJK president said, “Let this be clear to India that a befitting response would be given by Pakistan Army to this dastardly and cowardly act. By such attack, India would not be able to divert attention from its crimes against humanity and genocide in occupied Kashmir.” He said India is responsible for escalating the situation along the LoC and committing heinous human rights violations against innocent and unarmed Kashmiris. He said India must be accountable for its crimes against humanity.
He paid tributes to the valiant armed forces of Pakistan which repulsed India’s vicious and unprovoked shelling.Indian Army sources told the media that there was a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Naushera Sector on Sunday night and they had responded appropriately.
They denied any loss on the Indian side as claimed by some reports from Pakistan and said they cannot confirm the casualties on the Pakistan side.“We cannot comment on Pakistani claims on casualties on their side. They could be lower or even higher,” one officer said.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/165034-Unprovoked-Indian-firing-at-LoC-could-lead-to-strategic-miscalculation
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