The year 2020 remained one of the worst in terms of human rights violations both in Occupied Kashmir, as well as in Azad Jammu Jammu & Kashmir, across the Line of Control (LoC).
The most recent ceasefire violation took place on 30 December 2020, in which a civilian was injured.
34-year-old Muhammad Sarfaraz was seriously injured in the Indian forces’ indiscriminate firing in Phalni Bazar of sector Kotkotera of Kashmir. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register a strong protest over Indian ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC).
Not only are such unprovoked shellings and firings in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, but these deplorable acts also go against basic human courtesy as innocent civilians are targeted.
The Indian military has been targeting civilians living along the LoC and the Working Boundary (WB) with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars, and automatic weapons. In 2020, they carried out 3097 ceasefire violations, murdering 28 innocent civilians, and critically wounding some 257 other innocent civilians.
According to the MoFA, these criminal violations are India’s attempts to mask their atrocities against the Kashmiri people of Indian-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan has called out Indian violations of minority rights recently, yet again.
“By raising tensions along the LoC and the WB, India cannot divert attention from the grave human rights situation in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK).”
As a perennial purveyor of state-sponsored discrimination against its minorities, India is in no position to pontificate on issue of minority rights. India would be well advised to set its own house in order rather than feigning concern for elsewhere.
🔗 https://t.co/fEuWDjvqxc pic.twitter.com/90VNcIeNTH— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 2, 2021
This included highlighting recent incidents such as the Babri Mosque ruling, Muslim lynchings, blaming Tableeghi Jamaat for the Coronavirus pandemic, clamping down on inter-faith marriage calling it ‘love jihad’, etc.
Pakistan urged India to allow the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to play its mandated role as per the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.
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