Pakistan again summons Indian Deputy HC to protest over killing of three civilians
The Foreign Office summoned JP Sindh to lodge protest over latest LoC ceasefire violation by India.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Director General (SA & SAARC), Dr. Mohammad Faisal, once again summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner, J.P. Singh, today (Wednesday) and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on 8 November 2016, by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Mandhole village in Battal sector, resulting in killing of three civilians, including a woman and her daughter.
The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding and investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations.
He also asked India to instruct its forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the LoC.
The latest incident occurred near the border dividing Indian-held Kashmir from the Pakistani sector of the territory, and takes the number of civilians killed across the region since October 21 to 20.
"A mother and her daughter were killed after a shell fired by Indian troops hit their house in Mandhole village in Battal sector," local government official Chaudhry Altaf told AFP.
Two others were wounded and heavy shelling by Indian troops was continuing on the civilian population, Altaf said. The ages of the victims were not immediately clear.
Separately a man was killed and a woman was wounded in shelling in the same area, he added.
Another local official, Sardar Najeeb, confirmed the casualties.
On Monday three people including a policeman were killed in Nakyal sector in heavy shelling by Indian troops, Pakistani officials said.
The officials say Indian troops are now routinely shelling several villages on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing the disputed Himalayan state.
Pakistani officials say thousands of people have fled their homes due to the firing, though they are unable to confirm precise figures. More than 70 schools have also been closed in Nakyal and Goi sectors, authorities said.
-- with inputs from AFP
