Pakistan summons Indian diplomat over ceasefire violations

Pakistan has summoned a senior Indian diplomat to protest against the recent death of a woman who was allegedly killed in gunfire by Indian forces along the de facto border dividing the disputed region of Kashmir.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement that J P Singh, the Indian deputy high commissioner, was summoned to receive Islamabad’s protest after the woman died from her injuries on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the 28-year-old Pakistani woman, named only as Fareeda, had suffered a bullet wound to her stomach after Indian soldiers opened fire in the Jandrot sector of Kashmir on August 8.

Pakistan also accused Indian troops of opening fire on several posts along the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the Indian and Pakistani administered sides of Kashmir.  

"Pakistan also condemned the latest unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian security forces at the LoC in Nakial sector near Kotli and Bhimber Gali sector on August 9, in which Pakistani posts were targeted," the statement read.  

Moreover, it said the Indian army has committed dozens of ceasefire violations over the past weeks. "Indian security forces have committed 37 and 24 unprovoked ceasefire violations on the LoC and the Working Boundary in July and August respectively."

"The government of Pakistan expressed its deep concern at the continuous and unprovoked ceasefire violations and urged India to stop them forthwith," the statement said.

Indian and Pakistani forces have been engaged in a series of violent clashes in the disputed Himalayan valley, Kashmir, in recent months. The two sides accuse each other of provocation. 

The Pakistan army earlier said it had informed the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) about India's ceasefire violations and asked the monitoring group to investigate the incidents. 

New Delhi has also registered its own complaints to the UN. 

The UNMOGIP was originally set up in 1949 to supervise the ceasefire in the disputed region. 

Kashmir lies at the heart of almost 67 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both neighbors claim the region in full, but have partial control over it.

In 2003, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the LoC in Kashmir, and launched peace talks a year later. The process was, however, suspended after over 160 people lost their lives in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based militants.

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