PM Imran, Army Chief Bajwa visit LoC, meet troops and martyrs' families: ISPR

Published September 6, 2019
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa along with Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meet AJK residents and families of martyrs. — Photo courtesy DG ISPR Twitter
Prime Minister Imran Khan, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa along with Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi meet AJK residents and families of martyrs. — Photo courtesy DG ISPR Twitter

Prime Minister Imran Khan, accompanied by Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, visited the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday on the occasion of Defence and Martyrs Day.

According to a brief statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the premier was also accompanied by Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chairman of Special Committee on Kashmir Syed Fakhar Imam.

During their visit, the prime minister was "briefed on the ongoing situation [at the] LoC".

"The PM lauded the state of readiness and effective response to Indian CFVs [ceasefire violations]," a press statement by ISPR said.

Prime Minister Imran, along with the army chief, also interacted with troops and met the families of martyrs.

"India's deliberate targeting of unarmed civilians in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and continued siege of innocent Kashmiris in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are the worst examples of human rights violations," Director General ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, in a tweet, quoted the premier as saying.

This year, Defence and Martyrs Day is also being observed as Kashmir Solidarity Day.

Tensions between Pakistan and India are high since last month, when ISPR said that Indian forces had used cluster munitions to target the civilian population in Azad Jammu and Kashmir from across the LoC; in violation of the Geneva Convention and international law.

Relations worsened when New Delhi repealed Article 370 of the Indian constitution, stripping occupied Kashmir of its special status. Instances of ceasefire violations by Indian forces from across the LoC have also increased and have resulted in casualties of both, civilians and soldiers.

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