The floodlit border zone between India and Pakistan has a distinctly orange hue in this astronaut photograph, Credit: NASA/Wikimedia
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian High Commissioner, Ajay Bisaria, to condemn the “unprovoked and continuing “ heavy shelling in violation of a ceasefire agreement that Friday killed a Pakistani woman and her three children.
The latest round of firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary (WB) has heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian countries.
Another 10 people were injured in India shelling in violation of ceasefire across the Working Boundary by India, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of Pakistan’s armed forces.
Those killed by Indian shelling have been identified as Kalsoom, and her three children — Mehwish, Safia and Hamza.
Pakistani officials say India carried out heavy shelling in civilian populated areas including Pukhlian, Cahprar, Harpal, Charwah and Shakargarh sectors.
“The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws,” the Foreign Office statement said.
New Delhi, on the other hand, said a sniper killed an Indian soldier and that it retaliated.
However, Islamabad said India is threatening peace prospects in the region.
“Pakistan considers “the ceasefire violations by India a threat to regional peace and security and [they] may lead to a strategic miscalculation.”
In 2018 alone, the Indian forces have violated the ceasefire for more than 1,050 times along the Line of Control and Working Boundary, resulting in the killing of 28 civilians, while injuring 117 others, it said.
Nearly 1,970 ceasefire violations were committed by Indian forces in the year 2017, Pakistani officials say.
Islamabad has asked New Delhi to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary that separates Pakistan and Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Pakistan has also asked India to permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
According to Islamabad, a Pakistani man was shot dead by an Indian sniper in Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s Poonch district.
Pakistani and Indian troops exchange fire along the heavily militarized 720 km long Line of Control in disputed Kashmir region and 198 km long working boundary, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a ceasefire.
