MUZAFFARABAD: Indian troops fired a mortar shell from across the Line of Control (LoC), leaving a man dead in Bhimber district of AJK in the early hours of Monday morning, an official said.

Bhimber Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chaudhry Zulqarnain Sarfraz said the shell landed near a house in Saraye Saadabad village of Samahni sector, killing 39-year-old Guftar Hussain on the spot. Other members of his family escaped unhurt, he said.

The SSP said it was a “completely unprovoked ceasefire violation”.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the incident leading to the killing of a civilian.

In November 2003, Indian and Pakistan troops signed an agreement to ensure ceasefire along the LoC and Working Boundary.

Notwithstanding the truce agreement, Indian troops frequently resort to ceasefire violations, hitting mostly innocent civilians.

In May this year, the Directors General of Military Operations of both countries had established a special hotline contact and agreed to undertake sincere measures to improve the existing situation, ensuring peace and avoidance of hardships to civilians along the LoC and Working Boundary.

The officers also agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit forthwith and to ensure that henceforth the ceasefire was not violated by both sides.

However, there has not been any letup in the ceasefire violations along the LoC and Working Boundary.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2018