Pakistan Summons Indian Diplomat over Kashmir Shelling
Pakistan on Wednesday summoned a senior Indian diplomat to protest ceasefire violations and the killing of a civilian from Kashmir in cross-border shelling in the disputed Himalayan region.
The civilian was killed in shelling by Indian troops near the Harpal sector of the Line of Control (LoC)-- the region's de facto border, the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement gave no details on when the man was killed and Pakistan has reported several civilian deaths in Kashmir, which has seen an uptick in violence in recent weeks.
"Indian security forces also resorted to unprovoked firing in Jandrot, Nikhial and Karela Sectors of the LoC, as a result of which one more civilian embraced shahadat [martyrdom] and four others were injured," the statement added.
The Indian deputy high commissioner was summoned and Pakistan conveyed its concern over the ceasefire violations, the statement said.
"Pakistan urged India to immediately stop the violations and observe the 2003 ceasefire understanding."
For its part, India on Sunday summoned Pakistan's envoy in New Delhi to protest against the weekend killing of at least half a dozen civilians in border firings.
On Tuesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the nuclear-armed neighbors to show restraint following the recent escalation of violence.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947. They have fought two wars over the Himalayan region.
Since 1989 several rebel groups have been fighting hundreds of thousands of Indian forces deployed in the region, seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.
A border ceasefire agreed in 2003 has largely held, with occasional violations reported from both sides.
The fighting has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.
Source: Agence France Presse
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