By Our Diplomatic Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has extended an invitation to the entire diplomatic corps to visit the restive Line of Control (LoC) to inspect the areas hit by Indian shelling.
According to diplomatic sources, invitations have been extended to heads of foreign missions in Islamabad to visit Jura, Shahkot, and Nousehri sectors along the dividing line and observe the ground situation first-hand.
Indian forces used mortars and artillery to intentionally target civilians in these sectors, which resulted in the martyrdom of five civilians and one Pakistan Army soldier. Some houses, shops, and vehicles were also damaged, the sources said. They added the Indian aggression was befittingly responded.
The sources dismissed as a blatant lie the Indian army chief’s claim of hitting “terror launch pads.”
They said the Indian Charge de affairs has also been invited to prove the claim of his army chief before the foreign diplomats.
The Indian Charge de affairs was summoned yesterday and today and a strong protest was lodged with him over the unprovoked ceasefire violations.
The diplomatic sources said India’s false claim is detrimental to regional peace and may lead to any strategic miscalculation. The sources said Pakistan does not want war, but if war is imposed, Pakistan will fight it in the way it did on February 27.
Pakistan is capable enough to fight a war with its own resources, they added.
Agencies adds: Pakistan has decided to take all foreign diplomats in Islamabad to LoC after India alleged that it destroyed training camps along the border. Sources said the diplomats would be brought to Jura,Shah Kot and Nousheri sector of LoC. Indian envoy in Pakistan has also been invited to visit the site alongside diplomats. On the other hand, Pakistan summoned Indian envoy to Foreign Office and demanded proves of alleged Indian attack.
Pakistan warned India that it will have to bear severe consequences if it remained stuck to such violations.
DG South Asia and SAARC Dr Faisal told Indian envoy that if war is imposed then we will fight it and we don’t need support of any one.
Nine soldiers of the Indian army were killed and many others injured when Pakistan Army troops “effectively responded” to the latest Indian ceasefire violations, deliberately targeting civilians, in Jura, Shahkot and Nousehri sectors along the Line of Control, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday.