FO urges India to refrain from feigning minorities concern, lodges protest on ceasefire violation
It was emphasized that the legal system of Pakistan is fully capable of protecting the rights.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan on Saturday summoned a senior Indian diplomat and urged India to pay focus on their internal crises rather than feigning concern for minorities elsewhere for narrow political agenda.
According to FO, a senior diplomat from the High Commission of India was summoned to the Foreign Office to reject the mischievous portrayal by India of isolated, fabricated, incidents involving Pakistani citizens as minorities rights issues.
It was underscored that such machinations cannot divert attention from the criticism the Indian Government is facing for its own discriminatory policies against minorities in India and the ongoing state terrorism in Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IOJ&K).
The Indian side was conveyed that minorities in Pakistan enjoy full protections and rights under the Constitution. It was emphasized that the legal system of Pakistan is fully capable of protecting the rights of all its citizens.
The authorities in India were urged to refrain from feigning concern for minorities elsewhere for narrow political agenda; focus on putting their own house in order; and ensure effective protection of Indian minorities, including from frequent incidents of mob lynching and repeated hate crimes against minorities.
Indian Charge d’Affaires summoned to register Pakistan’s strong protest on ceasefire violations
Indian Charge d’ Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia was summoned by Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri to register Pakistan’s strong protest at the ceasefire violations by Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC), resulting in serious injuries to an innocent civilian lady.
Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian forcesin Kotkotera Sector on 18 January 2020, 36-year-old Shamim Begum, resident of village Jugalpal sustained serious injuries.
Condemning the targeting of innocent civilians by the Indian occupation forces, the DG (SA & SAARC) underscored that such senseless Indian acts, in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding and complete disregard for international human rights and international norms, further vitiate the tense atmosphere along the LoC and pose a threat to regional peace and stability. He emphasized that by raising tensions along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB), India cannot divert attention from the worsening human rights situation in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).
The DG (SA & SAARC) called upon the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the WB. He also urged that India should permit the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.
