Pakistan summons Indian envoy over ceasefire violations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today summoned India's Deputy High Commissioner for the fourth time in just over a week and lodged a strong protest over alleged "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces along the Line of Control that resulted in the death of its six civilians.

"Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh today and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31 by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The statement said the firing killed six civilians, including a woman, and wounded eight others.

"The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the Working Boundary and the LoC," it added.

This was the fifth time in just over a week that Indian diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Office for "ceasefire violations".

The Foreign Office had summoned Deputy High Commissioner Singh on October 25, 26 and 28.

On October 27, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to foreign ministry and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare an Indian High Commission official as "persona non-grata".