ISLAMABAD: Members of the Senate committee on defence visited forward positions in Nakial sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kotli district on Monday to express solidarity with soldiers deployed there and civilians affected by Indian army’s shelling.

The delegation led by committee’s Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was briefed by the Brigade Commander Brig Tufail on the situation prevailing in the area.

It was informed that a significant number of civilians, including women and children, had lost their lives in the area because of the violation of ceasefire by Indian forces.

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The Indian army adopted the aggressive approach after the Modi government assumed power in 2014, it was told. Since then this part of the Kotli district, where the LoC stretched over an area of 77km, had witnessed large-scale shelling, mortar fire and attacks of other kinds targeting civilian population.

During the September clashes, the Pakistan Army hit back, killing 18 Indian soldiers and injuring 41 others, the senators were told.

Talking to reporters, Senator Hussain condemned Indian aggression and termed it a violation of canons of civilised behaviour and United Nations resolutions as the Indian army was also violating the Geneva Convention by attacking civilians.

He said that parliament and people of Pakistan were proud of the bravery demonstrated by the army and high morale of civilians living along the LoC.

The senator criticised the Indian government and military for undermining UN resolutions by their non-cooperation with the UN military observers stationed along the LoC.

The committee members met a delegation of notables and people affected by Indian shelling, including former president of Azad Kashmir Sardar Sikander Hayat Khan. They assured the delegation that they would raise in the Senate issues of payment of compensation to people affected by Indian shelling and provision of healthcare facilities in the area.

The delegation included Farhatullah Babar, Maulana Ataur Rahman, Javed Abbasi and retired brig John Kenneth Williams.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015