RAWALPINDI: Unprovoked cross-border firing by Indian forces claimed life of a 19-year-old civilian, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Friday. According to the ISPR, 19-year-old Inzamam Ameen was working at a crush plant in Titri when he was martyred by the Indian troops.
Pakistan Army, in retaliatory fire, targetted an Indian post, the statement added. Earlier this week on Monday, Indian firing along the Line of Control killed an eight-year-old boy in Jajot village. Pakistan Army’s retaliatory action killed two Indian soldiers, the ISPR said. On February 15, Indian forces deployed along the Line of Control targetted a school van and martyred its driver in the Battal sector. Skirmishes along the Line of Control have seen an increase after the righ-wing government of Narendra Modi took power in India. In 2018, Indian forces carried out more than 150 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in less than a month. In 2017, Indian forces committed more than 1900 ceasefire violations. A school girl who was inside the targeted van described the scenes saying the children were frightened when Indian forces across the border opened fire at their van. She told that their driver was shot by a bullet and started bleeding.
“We all started screaming and there was no one to help us. People gathered there after a long time,” she added. Taking notice of the incident, the Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr. Mohammad Faisal, summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces. In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 335 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in the martyrdom of 14 innocent civilians and injuries to 65 others. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1970 ceasefire violations. Dr. Mohammad Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire arrangement and investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations.
He also instructed the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC and the Working Boundary.
