The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday lodged a protest with India and urged New Delhi to investigate civilian casualties in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) due to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) a day earlier.

Indian troops heavily shelled different areas of AJK from across the LoC on Saturday, leaving at least five civilians dead and 10 others wounded. The bloodbath coincided with the first death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen’s young militant commander Burhan Wani.

Director General (DG) of South Asia and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Dr Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh and condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations.

"Indian attempts to deflect international attention from the worsening situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir due to its repressive measures by heating up the LoC shall fail," an FO press release stated.

Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Agreement in letter and spirit, investigate the incident and maintain peace along the border.

The FO in its statement categorically rejected what it said were "the standard Indian allegations of infiltration across the LoC".

DG Faisal asserted that Pakistan has "consistently maintained that it was essential that the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) should be allowed to play its role as mandated by the UN Security Council resolutions."

"The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws," the FO added.