The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr. Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Gaurav Ahluwalia today and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) on 18^th August 2019. On 18 August 2019 in Hot Spring and Chirikot Sectors of LoC, two elderly innocent civilians, 75 year old Lal Muhammad s/o Muhammad Din, and 61 year old Hassan Din s/o lal Din, residents of village Nagrai, were martyred; while a seven year old minor boy, Saddam s/o Noor, got seriously injured.

The Indian occupation forces along the LoC and Working boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons, which still continues. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations.

The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.

The Director General (SA & SAARC) urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement; investigate these and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary. He urged that the Indian side should permit UNMOGIP to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.