Indian troops on February
15targeted a school van in the Battal sector of the Azad Jammu& Kashmir, killing
the driver on the spot and traumatizingthe students. The van was bringing back
students from Mandhol to their homes in the Dharamsal area, where it was
targeted by Indian troops. Mandhol and Dharamsal villages are located on the
bank of River Poonch.
Responding to the Indian violations of LoC, Pakistan Army destroyed the Indian
military’s post that targeted the civilians.Pakistani troops’counter-fire
resulted in the death of five Indian soldiers and their post being totally
demolished. Multiple Indian soldiers were also injured.
According to a statement issued by the Pakistan FO, the Indian occupation forces
deliberately targeted a school van carrying schoolchildren on the
Battal-Madharpur road, resulting in the death of van’s driver, besides leaving
the children severely traumatized. “India’s unethical and unprofessional
approach across the LoC continues terrorizing civilians,” said the Pakistan
Armyspokesman.Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major
General Asif Ghafoor reiterated that such attacks were a violation of the Geneva
Convention and a clear violation of the Pakistan-India Ceasefire Agreement. He
asserted that Pakistan will always respond to “Indian terrorism against innocent
citizens.”
India’s ceasefire violations along the Line of Control have become a routine
with over 150 violations since the start of this year. The violations have seen
an increase after the Narendra Modi-led government came into power in India.In
2018, the Indian forces carried out more than 150 ceasefire violations along the
LoC and the Working Boundary, resulting in the death of nine innocent civilians,
while injuring 40 others. In 2017, the Indian forces committed more violations
than previous years.In the first deadly incident since a truce was agreed a
month ago, the Indians captured and killed a Pakistani soldier who inadvertently
crossed the border, violating the understanding on release of
suchstrandedsoldiers.
Another Pakistan Army Soldier Havildar Mohyuddin was martyred as a result of
unprovoked Indian firing at a Pakistani post named 'Kundi' in Hotspring sector
of Batttal.As many as six people, including two children, were injured in Azad
Jammu & Kashmir during different incidents of unprovoked Indian shelling of
mortars from across the Line of Control.The shelling was done in Simti Majhan
and Tarkundi villages of Nakyal sector in Kotli district.Pakistan army troops
responded effectively to Indian ceasefire violations and targeted those posts
whichhad initiated unprovoked firing.Ceasefire violations are a frequent feature
along the LoC and Working Boundary despite the leadership of Pakistan Rangers
and India’s Border Security Forces agreeing in November 2017 that the “spirit”
of the 2003 Ceasefire Agreement must be revived to protect innocent lives.
In 2017, Indian forces committed more than 1,900 ceasefire violations.Total
number of ceasefire violations from 2003 to 2013 was 1062. The number of
violations in 2014 was315, in 2015 248, in 2016 382 and 1881 in 2017. The
highest number of CFV’s occurred is in 2017. There have been 300 shaheeds and
1,121 injured during these years.
Hundreds of Kashmiri men, women and children confronting the might of Indian
army, paramilitaries, and police have been killed in recent months. Many have
been blinded by the use of pellet guns, and countless others arrested and
subjected to extreme torture. Since the present phase of the uprising against
Indian rule erupted in 1989, an estimated one hundred thousand Kashmiris have
lost their lives.India has over the years regularly stepped up cross-LoC
ceasefire violations. Azad Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan and
President Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan have appealed to the international
community and the UN to take a serious notice of the Indian ceasefire line
violations at the LoC.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad,the Prime Minister of AJK said Indian
troops are particularly targeting schoolchildren, hospital vans and women and
aged people at LoC. The UN military observers should take action and control the
barbaric activities of Indian forces along the LoC.Pakistan should also
highlight the issue of civilian killing along the border at the forum of UN. He
said India’s aggressive designs are major threat to peace in South Asia. The
world powers should pay attention to the core issue of Kashmir and resolve it in
line with the UN Resolutions.AJK President Sardar Masood lauded the role of
Pakistan Army to respond to the Indian firing in a befitting manner.He said the
Indian troops always target innocent citizens including schoolchildren.
Sardar Masood said Pakistan Army knows how to respond to Indian firing but they
remain peaceful and avoid hitting civilians.India is making its utmost efforts
to divert the attention of the world from Kashmir dispute but remained failed so
far. India is not even allowing anyone to intervene in resolving Kashmir
dispute. However, Kashmir movement has gained momentum after killing of Burhan
Wani and Sabzar Butt.The world has learnt about the real face of Indian
secularism and its democracy. Indeed, India has been deceitful to the world over
many issues, it is confronting internally besides its genocide acts of
Kashmiri’s. Owing to political, economic and strategic reasons, there has been
soft corner of the major powers and Europe for India over the years.
The Indian firing on the innocent people of AJK across the LoC is through a
deliberate and well thought out strategy. This policy suits the Indian
leadership; aims to do everything whatever they want, deceive the Indian masses
on false slogans of attaining major power status, befool the international
community of having secularism and democracy and a huge market for the global
trade and commerce and finally blame Pakistan for all its ills.It’s the
responsibility of the international community as well as the UN to take notice
of the human rights violations and the criminal activities by India. Its high
time that there should be a solution to Kashmir issue. India is targeting the
civilian population and sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan, it’s a threat to the
entire region and peace and stability can only be maintained by resolving the
Kashmir issue.The world must force India to put an immediate end to the ongoing
bloodshed of innocent Kashmiris, and terrorism against innocent citizens.