Pakistan has taken up the reprehensible attack by India on the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) observers and their vehicle along the Line of Control (LoC) with the United Nations, urging it to initiate a transparent investigation into the incident.
In a letter addressed to the UN secretary general and the president of the Security Council, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN stated that deliberate targeting of the UN observers and their vehicle – which was clearly marked with UN logo and flying a blue flag of the UN – appears to be a new coercive and reckless ploy by India to hinder UNMOGIP’s work, and facilitate another Indian military misadventure against Pakistan.
The letter also informs the secretary general and the UNSC that Pakistan had credible information that the RSS-BJP government was planning to stage a ‘false flag’ attack to divert attention from its domestic difficulties, and create justification for another misadventure against Pakistan. If that were to happen, Pakistan will exercise its right to self-defence, the letter warns.
The letter from Pakistan’s Permanent Representative requests the UN to forcefully condemn the attack on the UNMOGIP Observers and call on India to observe the 2003 ceasefire understanding. The UN must respond positively and urgently to repeated calls by Pakistan to strengthen UNMOGIP and improve its ability to observe and report on ceasefire violations, the letter contends.
Pakistan has also reminded the UN that the illegal and inhuman military siege and communications lockdown in the occupied territory had now lasted for over 500 days. Highlighting the atrocities and crimes committed by Indian occupying forces against the innocent Kashmiris since August 2019, it has been forewarned that India’s ultimate plan is to change the demographic structure of IIOJK from a Muslim majority area into a Hindu majority territory.
While drawing attention to the deteriorating situation along the LoC, Pakistan’s communication recalls that India had committed over 3000 unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary this year alone, primarily targeting the civilian populated areas resulting in 276 casualties, including 92 women and 68 children, out of them 27 had embraced martyrdom.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said India’s deliberate firing on the vehicle of the UN Military Observer Group shows the state’s “total disregard for all international norms of acceptable state behaviour and respect for the international law”.
In a statement on Twitter, the prime minister said that India has committed 3,000 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary in 2020 alone, killing more than 276 Pakistani civilians, including 92 women and 68 children. Pakistan strongly condemns India’s rogue behaviour, he said.
The premier added that India’s internal problems – including economic recession, the intensifying farmers’ protest, and the manhandling of COVID-19 – are mounting, adding that India is trying to divert attention from the crises. “The Modi [government] will divert from [its] internal mess by conducting a false flag operation against Pakistan,” the PM wrote. “I am making [it] absolutely clear to the [international] community that if India was to be reckless enough to conduct a false flag operation against Pakistan, it would confront a strong national Pakistani resolve and be given a befitting response at all levels of the threat. Make no mistake,” he stated.
Pakistan on Sunday summoned a senior Indian diplomat to the foreign ministry for registering strong protest over ceasefire violations by the Indian occupation forces along the Line of Control (LoC) Saturday.
Due to indiscriminate and unprovoked firing by the Indian occupation forces in Rakhchikri Sector of the LoC on December 19, a 25-year-old Sagheera, daughter of Haneef, resident of Akhori village, sustained serious injuries.
According to Foreign Office spokesperson, Indian occupation forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) had been continuously targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons. In 2020, the Indian occupation forces have carried out 3003 ceasefire violations to date, martyring 27 people and serious injuring 250 innocent civilians, he added.
