The Foreign Office (FO) summoned the Indian charge d’affaires on Tuesday to register a protest over an elderly man’s killing in Kotli’s Nikial sector, along the Line of Control (LoC).
The 60-year-old man was killed by the Indian army’s “unprovoked firing” a day ago in violation of a ceasefire agreement between Islamabad and New Delhi.
In a statement issued today, the FO said it had summoned the Indian charge d’affaires and urged for an investigation into the incident.
It was also stressed that the ceasefire understanding should be respected, the statement added.
“Emphasising the need for maintaining peace and tranquillity at the LoC, it was underscored that such acts are in clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding, reaffirmed in February 2021.
“It was stressed that utmost caution should be exercised by the Indian forces as targeting innocent civilians is contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” the FO said.
In February 2021, India and Pakistan had recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire arrangement at the LoC and agreed to address the “core issues” that could undermine peace and stability.
However, there have been multiple instances of a violation of the ceasefire by the Indian side this year.
In June, two civilians embraced martyrdom while one other was injured as the Indian Army opened “indiscriminate fire” at a group of shepherds at the LoC. The FO had summoned the Indian charge d’affaires then as well to register Pakistan’s protest and condemn the incident.
In May, Indian troops had shot dead a 25-year-old inadvertent crosser from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The same month, a 65-year-old widow from the Pandu sector of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Jhelum valley district was also mercilessly killed by the Indian army after she had strayed across the LoC while picking some medicinal plants.
