News Analysis |
On Friday, an Indian border guard from the Border Security Force (BSF) was killed and two civilians were wounded in a skirmish between Indian and Pakistani troops on the International Border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said.
The SA and SAARC Director General, Dr. Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian acting Deputy High Commissioner yesterday and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control on 15th May 2018 in Hotspring’s Sector. The violation of the ceasefire resulted in the Shahadat of one innocent civilian (Chaudry Muzaffar s/o Mr. Alif resident of village Dehra Sher Khan). According to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, the Indian forces, along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, are continuously targeting civilian populated areas with heavy weapons.
In 2018 alone, the Indian forces have carried out more than 1000 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, resulting in the Shahadat of 24 innocent civilians, while injuring 107 others. This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations has been continuing from the year 2017, when the Indian forces committed 1970 ceasefire violations.
The conflict over Kashmir is fast escalating with various factors such as a renewed campaign for freedom in Indian Occupied Kashmir as well as a violent Hindutva government in New Delhi playing its part.
The exchange of small arms and artillery were reported in Arnia and Ranbir Singh Pora sectors of Jammu, the winter capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. “Early today at around 1.00am, Pakistani troops violated cease-fire by resorting to firing, targeting BSF posts and civilian areas, which resulted in the wounding of a BSF trooper and two civilians,” a Indian police official said. “Though the injured were immediately removed to the hospital, the BSF trooper succumbed there while the two civilians are undergoing treatment.”
Indian officials claimed that Indian troops also retaliated to the firing from Pakistan and the intermittent exchange was going on until last reports poured in. A similar exchange was reported in the adjoining Sambha sectors, officials said.
India’s official broadcaster- All India Radio (AIR) – quoting officials, said around a dozen border outposts and an equal number of villages are said to be affected by the shelling. On Thursday, a BSF trooper along with a civilian was injured in the Sambha and Hiranagar sectors, while as on Tuesday a BSF trooper was killed in Sambha in similar exchanges.
Read more: India declares ceasefire in Occupied Kashmir
Both, New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating the cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops give befitting replies. The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on the 720 km-long LoC and 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. However, the cease-fire still remains in effect.
The LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts. Pakistan has maintained that India must respect the 2003 ceasefire agreement between the two neighboring countries and maintain peace on the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary. Pakistan has also urged that the Indian side should permit the United Nations Military Observers group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
The SA and SAARC Director General, Dr. Mohammad Faisal summoned the Indian acting Deputy High Commissioner yesterday and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control on 15th May 2018 in Hotspring’s Sector.
The ceasefire violations are a frequent feature along the Line of Control (LoC) despite the leadership of Pakistan Rangers and India’s Border Security Forces agreeing on the fact that the ‘spirit’ of a 2003 ceasefire agreement must be revived to protect innocent lives, in November 2017. Indian aggression along the LoC has often been detrimental to peace prospects between both nations. On 8th September 2017, The General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC-C) of the Kashmir-based Northern Command, Lt Gen Devraj Anbu said that his forces will cross the Line of Control (LoC) and target its enemies whenever the need arises.
Read more: 3 Pakistani civilians injured after India violates ceasefire
The Indian military attacks have come in many forms. The most common have been artillery barrages which have been indiscriminately used against both Pakistani military targets and civilians. A horrifying example of targeted Indian attacks against civilians was the attack on a school bus carrying children on 15th December 2016, which led to the death of the driver and injury of at least 10 children.
The driver of the van, carrying 20 students of a private school, died on the spot as the vehicle came under attack in the Nakyal sector of the Kotli district. Before that, on November 23rd, nine people were killed when Indian troops targeted a passenger bus in AJK’s Lawat area.
The conflict over Kashmir is fast escalating with various factors such as a renewed campaign for freedom in Indian Occupied Kashmir as well as a violent Hindutva government in New Delhi playing its part.