Islamabad: Pakistan on Wednesday summoned Indian Acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to protest against the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC).
Director General South Asia Dr Mohammed Faisal, summoned Mr Ahluwalia and “condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces along the Line of Control yesterday in Nikial and Khuiratta Sectors which resulted in the death of four civilians while injuring six others,” a foreign ministry statement said.
The Director General urged the “Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations and instruct its Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.”
He also urged that the Indian side should permit the UN observers to play their mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
“The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi postponed his official visit to Japan, scheduled from 24-27 February 2019, due to the evolving situation in the South Asia.
The foreign minister was due to visit Japan at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart. He was scheduled to meet with the country’s leadership to discuss international issue, bilateral relations and recent situation in Kashmir.
Speaking to his Japanese counterpart over the telephone, Mr Qureshi thanked him for the invitation and explained that the current situation in the region warranted his presence in the country. It was agreed between the two Foreign Ministers that the new dates will be fixed at the earliest convenience.
