ISLAMABAD: Pakistan summoned India’s charge d’affaires on Tuesday to register a “strong protest” over the killing of a Pakistani citizen due to cross-border shelling, the foreign office said in a statement.
Pakistan’s army accused Indian troops of opening fire on Monday at their disputed border in the Himalayan region of Kashmir, resulting in the killing of a villager. The Indian side did not respond to the accusations.
The cease-fire between bitter rivals and nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan has largely been holding since 2021 when the two sides agreed to adhere to a 2003 accord that previously had been ignored, with civilian and troop deaths on both sides.
“The Indian charge d’affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, to register Pakistan’s strong protest over the killing of a 60-year-old civilian, Mr.Ghias, resident of Oli village of Kotli district,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement.
The Indian diplomat was told that such acts of aggression were in clear violation of the 2003 cease-fire agreement between the two sides, MoFA shared.
“It was stressed that utmost caution should be exercised by the Indian forces as targeting innocent civilians is contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” MoFA said.
“The Indian side was urged to investigate the incident and respect the Cease-fire Understanding.”
Pakistan and India have a bitter past, with the two countries fighting three wars since gaining independence from British colonial India in 1947. Two of these wars have been fought over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both countries claim in full but administer only parts of.
