Deputy envoy of Pakistan summoned to MEA

India on Wednesday lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the recent death of an infant in Jammu and Kashmir due to ceasefire violation by the neighbouring country's soldiers along the Line of Control.

Syed Haider Shah, the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs, where senior diplomats lodged a strong protest over the death of a seven-month-old infant due to unprovoked ceasefire violations by the soldiers of the neighbouring country in Bhimber Sector across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir last Monday.

New Delhi asked Islamabad to conduct a probe into the killing of innocent civilians by the soldiers of Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers across the LoC.

“It was conveyed that the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians, who are located away from the forward line of defences, by Pakistan forces using small arms and high caliber weapons is highly deplorable and condemned in the strongest terms,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release issued on Wednesday.

Senior diplomats of Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the MEA told the Deputy High Commissioner of the neighbouring country that targeting of innocent civilians, including young children, was “against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct”.

“Pakistan authorities were called upon to investigate into such heinous acts of killing innocent civilians and instruct its forces to desist from such acts immediately,” said MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

New Delhi conveyed to Islamabad its “strong concerns” over “continued unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations across the LoC and the International Boundary (the undisputed stretch of India-Pakistan border).

The MEA noted that the soldiers of Pakistan Army and Pakistan Rangers had carried out more than 1,088 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Boundary so far during 2018.

The ceasefire violations by Pakistani soldiers had led to the death of 36 Indians and injuries to 127 others.

“The Pakistan side was also asked to end the support being given to cross-border infiltration of terrorists, including through covering fire,” said Kumar.

Since the beginning of 2018, Indian security forces have thwarted attempts by 53 terrorists to infiltrate and have neutralized five terrorists at the time of crossing the LoC, the MEA noted.