Pakistan lodges protest over India's 'ceasefire violation' on LoC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner here over the killing of a civilian in India's "unprovoked ceasefire violation" across the LoC and sought an immediate probe.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said that 28-year-old villager Abdul Rehman was killed in "unprovoked firing by India in Karela sector of the Line of Control (LoC)" late last night.

12 others, including women and children, were injured in the incident, the FO said in a press release.

The Indian Deputy High Commissioner was called in by the Director General ( South Asia & SAARC) today over "unprovoked ceasefire violations on the LoC by Indian forces", it said.

"It was conveyed that the Indian side must investigate the incident and share the findings with Pakistan, India must instruct its troops to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, refrain from intentionally targeting the villages and maintain peace and stability on the LoC," the release said.

It further added that Pakistan notes with "deep concern that during the last couple of months, there have been a number of ceasefire violations from the Indian side on the LoC and the Working Boundary".

Separately in Rawalpindi, the Pakistani military handed over a protest letter to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) representative.

"UNMOGIP representative was handed protest by GHQ (Pakistan's General Headquarters) regarding targeting of civilians by Indian Army and use of heavy calibre mortars," Zakaria said in a tweet.

"UNMOGIP has been requested to immediately investigate the matter," he added.

Pakistan and India have been accusing each other of violating the ceasefire of 2003 in Kashmir since the Uri terror attack last month.

India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the LoC. India has always stated that it has "no role to play whatsoever".