ISLAMABAD: The Pak­istan Army has told Indian military that its ceasefire violations along the Line of Control are escalating an already tense situation, besides adding to miseries of people living along the Line of Control — 219 of whom have already fallen victim to the Indian shelling this year.

This was conveyed during a hotline conversation bet­ween Pakistani Director General Military Opera­tions Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza and his Indian counterpart Lt Gen Anil Chauhan.

The conversation took place on Friday evening, but Inter-Services Public Rela­tions issued a statement about it on Saturday evening.

It was an unscheduled hotline conversation that took place on the request of the Pakistani DGMO.

“Hotline contact was established between Pakistani and Indian DGMO on 27 April. DGMO Pakistan Army took up the issue of continuing surge in ceasefire violations (CFVs) by Indian Army along LoC / WB. He also highlighted deliberate targeting of innocent civilians residing along LoC / WB by Indian forces on false pretext of reaction against alleged cross LoC / WB infiltration,” ISPR said.

Maj Gen Mirza also said India was indulging in escalation.

The military’s public affairs wing noted that so far, during the current year, 219 innocent civilians had fallen casualty, both martyred and injured due to Indian targeted ceasefire violations. The breaches of ceasefire are following last year’s pattern when over 1,800 were reported.

“DGMO Pakistan said that such unprofessional and unethical acts are provocative, detrimental to the peace, vitiate the situation along LoC and also contribute towards further escalation,” ISPR said.

Pakistan’s military says India is committing violations to deflect world attention from the uprising inside the occupied valley.

Maj Gen Mirza, therefore, asked his Indian counterpart that instead of indulging in blame game Indian security forces needed to look inwards.

“DGMO Pakistan emphasised that durable peace along LoC / WB is contingent upon practical manifestation of existing understandings by Indian troops on ground,” ISPR said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesman in a statement said: “The Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons. In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 1,000 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.”

He further said: “The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws. The ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation.”

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2018