Srinagar, July 21: Army’s director general of military operations Lt Gen A K Bhatt on Thursday strongly took up with his Pakistani counterpart the issue of Pakistani troops “deliberately targeting” civilians and firing at school children along the Line of Control in J&K.
During a telephonic conversation, Bhatt asked Pakistani DGMO Major General
Sahir Shamshad Mirza to exercise “strict control” over his troops and instruct them to refrain from any “nefarious activities”, an army spokesperson said.
The Pakistani DGMO was informed about Pakistani troops “deliberately targeting” civilian villages and also firing at school children in Nowshera sector of Rajouri district when they were being evacuated from the area on Tuesday.
“This, he (Mirza) was told, does not behove any army. The Indian Army as professional force takes due care to avoid targeting of civilians and Pakistan army was expected to do the same,” army spokesman Col Aman Anand said.
He said the Pakistani DGMO was informed about the spate of ceasefire violations which also included “calibre escalation coupled with incidents of sniping and attempted infiltration.”
Anand said the Indian Army has been taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of life and property of Indian citizens.
PAK SUMMONS INDIAN ENVOY AGAIN
Meanwhile, for a second time in two days, Pakistan summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Islamabad after two civilians were killed in alleged ceasefire violations across the Line of Control by Indian troops.
Director general (SA and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal, who summoned deputy high commissioner JP Singh, “condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations.”
Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement that firing by Indian troops in Nikial and Nezapir sectors yesterday killed two civilians and injured five others.
“The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” Faisal said.
He urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement, investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations, instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC.
Faisal said that the Indian side should permit United Nations Military
Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions and alleged that despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations.
Indian forces have carried out 594 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary so far in 2017, the director general claimed.
Yesterday, Pakistan summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Singh after two civilians were killed and six others injured in alleged ceasefire violations along the Line of Control by Indian troops.
The Pakistani foreign ministry previously summoned the Indian envoy for two consecutive days on July 8 and 9, over the same issue, claiming that more civilians were killed in firing by Indian troops. PTI
Stop targeting civilians: India, Pak tell each other
