ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Wednesday called for a probe by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) into ceasefire violations by India along the Line of Control (LoC).

The Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan unanimously adopted a resolution urging the government to persuade the UNSC to appoint a commission to investigate ceasefire violations by India and increase the strength of military observers across the LoC.

The resolution, moved by Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Rehman Malik, also asked the government to file a claim of damages for the loss of lives and property caused by the hostile neighbour with the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Resolution urges govt to seek damages for loss of lives and property caused by Indian firing

“The Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan strongly condemns the continuous ceasefire violations by Indian Forces at Line of Control (LoC), which is a sheer violation of agreement between India and Pakistan supervised by United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan to establish ceasefire at Line of Control.

“The committee unanimously adopts that the Government of Pakistan should move the matter in the United Nations Security Council in the form of a complaint for continuous and unprovoked violations of the ceasefire agreement with request to appoint a Special Commission to investigate all ceasefire violations by India and increase the strength of United Nations Observers to ensure the implementation of ceasefire along the Line of Control.

“The Committee also demands that the Government of Pakistan should also file claim of damages from India in terms of lives and properties in the International Court of Justice,” the resolution reads.

Mr Malik said he was also writing a letter to the foreign minister in this regard along with some proposals. The meeting held at the Parliament House here was chaired by Senator Prof Sajid Mir.

Senator Malik said that Indian troops were violating the ceasefire agreement which was signed on July 27, 1949, both by India and Pakistan under the United Nations.

He said that Indian forces along the LoC and Working Boundary were continuously targeting civilian population with artillery fire and automatic weapons, adding that targeting of civilians was highly condemnable and a sheer violation of international human rights and United Nations laws.

Mr Malik also demanded formation of an inquiry commission for audit of the assistance received after the devastating 2005 earthquake that rattled parts of the country.

He said the commission should see from where billions of rupees in aid had come and where the amount had been spent.

He said model villages were to be built in Balakot and other areas, but regretted that many earthquake-hit people were still homeless.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2019