An unfortunate incident occured on Monday as a 60-year-old man was martyred due to unprovoked firing by the Indian army at the Line of Control (LoC) in Kotli’s Nikial sector, according to a statement released by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The elderly man was a resident of Oli village in Kotli district. The statement also mentioned that three women who were cutting grass in the fields were traumatized as well.
The ISPR condemned this blatant aggression by the Indian army, stating that it is a clear violation of the existing ceasefire understandings. Pakistan desires peace and tranquility at its borders but will take all necessary measures to protect the lives and property of its citizens. The statement further warned that any misadventure against the people of Pakistan will be responded to befittingly at the time and place of their choosing.
This incident follows a similar one in June, where two civilians were martyred and another injured as a result of indiscriminate firing by the Indian army at the LoC. In response to these incidents, the ISPR mentioned that Indian forces are taking innocent lives to satisfy their false narratives and concocted allegations, driven by a newfound geopolitical patronage.
The Foreign Office had also summoned the Indian Charge d’Affairs to register Pakistan’s protest and condemn these incidents. The LoC has seen escalating tensions between both countries since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in India in 2014.
In February 2021, both Pakistan and India recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire arrangement at the LoC and agreed to address core issues that could undermine peace and stability. This decision was made during a hotline contact between the director generals of military operations.
Unfortunately, violations of the ceasefire agreement have occurred regularly since 2008, with a sharp increase in truce breaches since 2014. In 2020, the Indian troops committed over 3,000 ceasefire violations resulting in the martyrdom of 28 people. The tense situation between the two countries reached a peak in February 2019 when the Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian planes that had violated Pakistani airspace.
Pakistan has consistently shown its commitment to peace and has handed over an Indian pilot as a gesture of peace in the past. However, it will not hesitate to take necessary measures to protect its citizens and respond to any aggression from the Indian side.