-Protest lodged with New Delhi over fresh LoC ceasefire violations
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui on Thursday said that repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in different countries is government’s foremost priority, newsmen reported.
Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said the government is taking effective measures for the safe return of Pakistanis nationals stranded abroad. She said that Indian forces are targeting Kashmiri youth in the Occupied Kashmir under the garb of a so-called cordon and search operations. “Alone 29 innocent Kashmiris have been by martyred by Indian troops in April, including seven since the onset of Ramazan,” she said.
The spokesperson called upon India to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate all acts of deliberate ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary. She also urged the Indian side to allow United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per United Nations Security Council Resolutions. She added, “Pakistan categorically rejects Indian allegations of infiltration attempts and unfounded claims of targeting launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC).
“These repeated Indian allegations are aimed at diverting world attention from India’s state terrorism and the grave human rights situation in Occupied Kashmir,” she concluded. The Indian Charged’ Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned by Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, to register akistan’s strong protest over the ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rakhchikri Sector on 9th April, 2020, resulting in shahadats and serious injuries to innocent civilians.
Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Kirni village, two innocent female civilians 16 years old, Zobia Bibi d/o Lal Din, and 52 years old Rasheeda Bibi w/o Muhammad Hassan, embraced shahadat and two civilians 10 years old, Faizan Hassan s/o Muhammad Hassan, and 55 years old Roshna Bibi w/o Kamal Din, sustained serious injuries. In 2020 alone India has committed 919 ceasefire violations and deliberately targeted innocent civilians living close to the LOC in Azad Jammu & Kashmir with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the DG (SA & SAARC) underscored that such senseless acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding. The widespread disregard by India for international human rights and international norms are further vitiating the tense environment, and are posing a serious threat to regional peace and security. He added that by raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).
The DG (SA & SAARC) called upon the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB.
He also urged the Indian side to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.
Indian forces are particularly targeting Kashmiri youth in the occupied Kashmir under the guise of cordon and search operation said the Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui on Thursday.
During her weekly media briefing in Islamabad, Farooqui said in April alone 29 innocent Kashmiris were martyred, including seven since the onset of Ramadan.
She said the Indian occupational forces are allowed to operate with complete impunity in the occupied valley under draconian laws such as Public Safety Act and Armed Forces Special Powers Act, adding that harassment and intimidation of Kashmiri journalists has further intensified under the notorious and unlawful acts.
The spokesperson called upon India to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, investigate all acts of deliberate ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary. She also urged the Indian side to allow United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Farooqui further added that India has repeatedly tried to divert world attention from India’s state terrorism and the grave human rights situation in IoJ&K by allegations of infiltration attempts by Pakistan and unfounded claims of targeting launch pads across the Line of Control. She said Pakistan categorically rejects all such claims by India.
