[image: Major-General-Asif-Ghafoor-DG-ISPR-e1531992511309.jpg]
RAWALPINDI/ BHIMBER – A civilian was martyred as Indian forces resorted tounprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday, the military’smedia wing, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
“In continuation of violation of ceasefire understanding, Indian armyresorted to unprovoked firing and targeted civilian population in Khanjarsector of LoC today,” ISPR said.
A civilian identified as Guftar Hussain, 51, resident of village Jhamra,embraced martyrdom due to unprovoked mortar shelling of Indian troops, ISPRadded.
Pakistan Army posts retaliated effectively and engaged enemy posts involvedin unprovoked fire on innocent civilian population, ISPR further said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bhimber Chaudhry Zulqarnain Sarfraztold a private TV channel that a man in Bhimber district of Azad Jammu andKashmir (AJK) died after being hit by a mortar shell fired by the Indianarmy from across the Line of Control (LoC) on Monday.
“The shell landed in the courtyard of the house, leaving an elderly manGuftar Hussain dead on the spot,” SSP said “But other members of the houseremained unhurt miraculously.” He added
According to the SSP, the firing was a “completely unprovoked ceasefireviolation” of the 2003 agreement.
The latest ceasefire violation comes months after both sides agreed to“undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation ensuringpeace and avoidance of hardships to the civilians along the borders”. Aspecial hotline between the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO)of Pakistan and India was established for the purpose.
However, SSP Sarfraz said there has not been any let up in ceasefireviolations along the LoC and Working Boundary.
“In fact, Indian troops have become habitual of intentionally hittinginnocent and unarmed civilians along the dividing line in a bid to createpanic among them. However, they have failed to break the morale of thevaliant civilian population,” he added.
In the last such incident, Indian troops had fired a rocket in Nadherivillage of Kotli district’s Goi sector on September 3, leaving a mancritically wounded. The victim succumbed to his wounds in a hospital inRawalpindi on Sept 9.
According to Saeed Qureshi, a director at State Disaster ManagementAuthority, as many as 25 people, seven of them women, have lost their livesin the current year to Indian shelling in different areas of AJK, whileanother 139, including 67 women, have sustained injuries.
The shelling has also left at least 28 houses partially damaged and twohouses and a shop completely damaged in 2018, he added.Last week, Pakistan summoned Indian deputy high commissioner after acivilian was martyred in unprovoked Indian firing along the LoC.Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner andcondemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian forces, aForeign Office statement read.
The statement added that a civilian, Abdur Rauf, was martyred in Indianforces firing in Kotkotera Sector along the LoC on September 4.