21
Two more ceasefire violations were reported on Tuesday shortly after Pakistan lodged a protest with India and the United Nations Military Observers group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) over the killing of two civilians in 'unprovoked' firing across the Working Boundary a day earlier.
"India resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in the Bhimber and Chaprar sectors respectively today," Inter-Services Public Relations said on Tuesday.
"Till the filing of this report, the exchange of fire was ongoing," the statement said, adding that Pakistani troops responded 'befittingly' to Indian firing.
The director general (South Asia and Saarc), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh on Tuesday and lodged a strong protest against earlier ceasefire violations along the Working Boundary by Indian border forces, Foreign Office said.
"A strong protest was lodged against the unprovoked ceasefire violations on 23-24 October 2016 by the Indian occupation forces at the Working Boundary in the Phuklian and Chaprar Sectors," an FO statement said.
An infant and an elderly man were killed and seven people were injured in heavy mortar shelling by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in villages along the Sialkot Working Boundary on Monday.
The attack came in the dead of night when residents of villages in Bajwat, Chaprar, Harpal, Sucheetgarh, Merajkey and Charwah sectors were asleep, senior officials of the Punjab Rangers said.
India was asked to investigate the incident and share the findings with Pakistan, and to instruct its troops to respect the ceasefire agreement in letter and spirit, refrain from intentionally targeting the villages and maintain peace along the Working Boundary.
A strong protest was also lodged with the UNMOGIP "regarding unprovoked firing by Indians across the Working Boundary," Inter-Services Public Relations said.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria last week alleged that India has committed more than 90 ceasefire violations in 2016.
"During the 2014 provincial assembly elections, India violated ceasefire agreement more than 200 times," Zakaria said.
He claimed that Pakistan has "never violated the ceasefire agreement."
