India to summon Pak High Commissioner, lodge protest over LoC violations

The broadcaster quoting military spokesman Lt. Col. Manish Mehta as blaming Pakistani military for heavy firing and mortar shelling on forward posts and civilian villages in Poonch and Balakote sectors since Sunday morning.

In a tit-for-tat reaction, Indian External Affairs Ministry’s Secretary East Anil Wadhwa conveyed to Basit India’s protest of “unprovoked firing” by the Pakistani troops.

Rebels are fighting mainly for Kashmir to become part of Pakistan, not for independence, which most Kashmiris want. Since Saturday, heavy shelling and firing by Pakistani forces in Balakot Sector of Poonch district has left six civilians killed and 20 others injured.

Three persons were today injured in ceasefire violations in Manjakot in Rajouri, they said, adding six persons had died and 10 were injured in the shelling and firing since yesterday.

Basit later speaking to newspersons claimed that India violated the ceasefire 70 times and that Pakistan was very concerned about it.

Ties further soured recently with Pakistan refusing to invite Jammu and Kashmir Assembly speaker to a conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in protest against which India decided to boycott the meeting to be held in Islamabad from Sept 30 to October 8, the agency said.

“Diplomatically, India has repeatedly emphasised, including at the highest level, the need for Pakistan to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control (LoC) and abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the global Border and LC”, he said.

A woman was killed and eight others wounded on Sunday in the latest cross-border shelling by India in the disputed region of Kashmir, Pakistani officials said.

Desperate to push armed terrorists into the state, Pakistan has been firing continuously at both the worldwide border and the LoC since last month.

Pakistan’s National Security Adviser Sartaj Aziz will travel to New Delhi on August. 23 for the talks that will also explore ways to reduce the tensions.

They said the Pakistan Army gave a befitting response to Indian aggression across the Line of Control.

After months of stalemate and recriminations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif spoke for nearly an hour while visiting Russian Federation in July.