ISLAMABAD, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Monday summoned a senior Indian diplomat and lodged protest over a recent cross-border firing which killed an aged woman, officials said.
Pakistani army says that Indian "unprovoked firing" killed a 60-year old civilian lady on March 17. Two minors were also injured in another incident on Sunday.
Dr. Mohammad Faisal, who heads South Asian Desk at the Foreign Ministry, summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner, J.P. Singh and condemned the "unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian occupation forces" on March 17 in Kotli area of Kotkotterra sector.
"The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed condemnable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws," a Foreign Ministry statement said.
Pakistan urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC, the statement said.
There has been escalation along the LoC, the de facto border, between the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region, since suspected militants killed 19 soldiers in the Indian-controlled Kashmir in September last year.
The Indian military blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group for the attack, saying Pakistan was behind the attack, but Islamabad rejected the charges and suggested independent investigation.
Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire in 2003, however, firing exchanges do take place from time to time and the cross-LoC firing has increased in recent days.
Both countries accuse each other of ceasefire violations.
