Pakistan registered strong protest with Indian Ambassador Gaurav Ahluwalia

Pakistan registered strong protest with Indian Ambassador Gaurav Ahluwalia

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan registered a strong protest with Indian Charge d’Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia after summoning him to the Foreign Office on Monday over an incident of ceasefire violation by his country’s armed forces, resulting in martyrdom of an innocent civilian along the Line of Control (LoC) on January 11.

The Indian diplomat was summoned by Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, the director general of Foreign Office’s South Asia and SAARC chapter, according to an official statement.

Muhammad Ishtiaque, a 24-year-old resident of Chowki village in Khuiratta district, was martyred due to unprovoked Indian firing in Kotkotera and Karela sectors along the LoC on Saturday.

Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupying forces, Chaudhri stressed that “such senseless Indian acts, in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding and complete disregard for international human rights and international norms, are a threat to regional peace and security”.

By raising tensions along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB), India cannot divert attention from the worsening human rights violations that are taking place in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOK), he added.

The SA & SAARC DG also called upon the Indian side to respect the ceasefire agreement; investigate Saturday’s and other incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations; and take steps to maintain peace along the LoC and the WB.