• Ceasefire violation leaves vehicle damaged
• In remarks made in UAE, FM says Delhi intends to carry out a surgical strike on Pakistan

MUZAFFARABAD: In yet another brazen act of ceasefire violation, Indian army on Friday morning “deliberately” fired upon a United Nations (UN) vehicle carrying two military observers on a routine monitoring mission along the restive Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), officials said.

Fortunately, they added, no member of the observers group was hurt but the white vehicle hoisting the blue UN flag was damaged in the ‘targeted’ attack.

The “reprehensible act” prompted strong condemnation by Pakistan, with Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri describing it as an indication of a “new low” in the conduct of Indian occupation troops.

The United Nations observers were on their way to Polas village of AJK’s Abbaspur area to interact with the victims of unrelenting ceasefire violations by the Indian army when the vehicle with UN insignia came under fire from across the LoC at around 10.45am, the officials said.

The Polas and Chaffar villages of Abbaspur have suffered huge losses due to unprovoked Indian shelling in the past. Only last Sunday, a woman and a man in the villages were wounded when Indian troops opened fire.

“Such illegal and unlawful acts, against all established international norms, signify the mal-intent of Indian Army to target not only innocent civilians residing along the Line of Control but UN peacekeepers as well. This act only goes to show Indian Army’s complete disregard to principles enshrined in [the] UN Charter. It is indeed a new low for Indian Army,” said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Major General Babar Iftikhar while expressing solidarity with the UN observers.

“Pakistan Army stands in solidarity with the UNMOGIP officials and appreciates the selfless services rendered by all members of UNMOGIP in discharge of their UN mandated duties,” he tweeted.

The ISPR chief while giving details of the incident said the UN vehicle was carrying two members of the UN Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) towards Polas village where they had to interact with the victims of ceasefire violations by the Indian army.

At 10:45am, the Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing during which they deliberately ‘targeted’ the UN vehicle, even though these white vehicles, hoisting blue UN flags, are clearly recognizable from long distances due to their distinct make and type and clearly visible markings, he said.

While the vehicle was damaged, the two observers luckily remained unharmed and were safely rescued and evacuated by Pakistan Army to Rawalakot, district headquarters of Poonch, said Pakistan military’s media wing chief.

It is not the first time the Indian army has fired upon the UN observers in this area.

On March 14, 2018, three members of the UNMOGIP had a close call in the same Polas village after Indian troops resorted to firing and injured two locals who were briefing them on the situation prevailing in the wake of ceasefire violations.

The firing had rendered Sardar Saghir, one of the two victims, disabled. Incidentally, the spot where the UN vehicle was fired upon on Friday was just outside the house of the same victim, who had been bed-bound ever since, said Abbaspur Assistant Commissioner Syed Tassawar Kazmi while talking to Dawn.

Incident should awake UN: AJK premier

In a tweet, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider also condemned the incident of firing at the UN vehicle.

“That the savage Indian Army has always resorted to unprovoked CFVs across the bloody divide in Kashmir stands proven one more time today after the incident of firing at [the] UN observers. This highly condemnable act should awake the UN to the urgency of the festering Kashmir issue’s settlement,” he wrote.

In Islamabad, the FO spokesperson said, Pakistan strongly condemned the unrelenting ceasefire violations by India, in clear violation of international laws, the 2003 ceasefire agreement, and against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct.

Despite a 2003 understanding between the two countries about maintaining ceasefire in the region an intensification in ceasefire violations by India has been evident since 2014 when Narendara Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power.

So far this year alone, India has committed 2,992 ceasefire violations, resulting in 27 deaths and serious injuries to 249 civilians, including 92 women and 68 children, according to the FO spokesperson though AJK officials said 30 civilians were killed and 255 others wounded in less than 12 months.

The FO spokesperson once again called upon India to respect the 2003 ceasefire understanding, investigate the incidents of deliberate ceasefire violations, and maintain peace along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB). “Pakistan also urges India to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” Mr Chaudhri said.

India warned against any misadventure

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi addressing a presser in the United Arab Emirates warned that India was planning to undertake a military offensive against Pakistan.

“We have received information from intelligence sources that India intends to carry out a surgical strike on Pakistan to divert attention from its domestic situation and the precarious situation in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” FM Qureshi said.

This is the second time within the past fortnight that officials have warned about the possibility of an attack by India.

Warning that any misadventure by India could seriously impact the Afghan peace process, besides endangering the regional peace and stability, Mr Qureshi said Pakistan would respond with full force if attacked by India. In this regard, he reminded India of the response to aerial incursion in February 2019 after Pulwama incident.

Baqir Sajjad Syed in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2020