India is not only engaged in a genocide of the Kashmiris in the occupied valley but also deliberately targeting the civilian population in Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir, Islamabad said Friday.
Speaking amidst exacerbating tensions between the two South Asian nuclear neighbors, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary expressed concern over India’s deliberate shelling on villages and populated areas along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary.
He was briefing heads of missions of the permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying Indian shelling has killed at least 26 civilians.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the heads of missions were made aware of the use of heavy artillery, employed by Indian forces on November 9 in the sectors of Shahkot and Jura along the LoC dividing the disputed Himalayan territory.
According to officisl Indian armed forces have not used such heavy shelling in the UN-recognized disputed territory in the last 13 years.
On the job of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), the Foreign Secretary said Pakistan is fully cooperating and providing unrestricted access to the observer mission. On the other hand, he pointed out that New Delhi has limited the group’s access and is not cooperating.
The heads of mission assured Pakistan that they would convey the concerns to their respective capitals and underscored the need for restraint, observance of ceasefire and dialogue to resolve issues.
The UNSC representatives were informed that the Pakistani armed forces gave a “befitting reply to Indian aggression”.
A briefing on the ceasefire violations was also given by a representative of the Military Operations Directorate.
The latest developments come as tensions climb between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue and as the past few days have seen frequent cross-border firing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has toughened Indian stance on Kashmir and allowed use of pellet guns that a British newspaper The Guardian recently wondered amounted to first mass blinding campaign against civilians in the history of the world.
The tensions rose further after a militant attack on the Uri Indidan army base attack in September. Hours after the attack occurred, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed Pakistan a ‘terrorist state’ and accused Pakistan of involvement.
The Uri attack occurred days before Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was set to address the United Nations General Assembly regarding Indian human rights violations in held Kashmir.
Pakistan maintains that India is attempting to divert the world’s attention away from atrocities committed by government forces in India-held Kashmir.
India has imposed a strict clampdown in Kashmir, which has been rocked by anti-India protests since July, as people protest Indian atrocities including rape of wmen and killings of Kashmiri youth.
