MUZAFFARABAD: “Kash­miris in India-occupied Jammu and Kash­mir are bravely facing Indian atrocities under continued siege. We shall never leave them alone and play our rightful role at whatever cost,” Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was quoted as saying during his visit to troops stationed along the restive Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednes­day, as three more civilians were wounded by unrelenting ceasefire violations by Indian troops.

During the visit which came amid heightened tension along the unmarked dividing line, Gen Bajwa was briefed by local commanders on the situation prevailing along the LoC, particularly the ceasefire violations by the Indian army deliberately targeting unarmed civilian populations in AJK as well as response by the Pakistan Army, according to Inter-Services Public Relations chief Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

Though the ISPR chief did not mention the area where Gen Bajwa had flown into, military sources confided to Dawn that he visited the upper belt of Neelum Valley.

On Thursday last week, a young boy was killed and 14 others were injured after Indian troops resorted to shelling of civilian populations in the upper belt of Neelum Valley. Elsewhere, five other civilians were injured the same day.

According to AJK officials, unabated ceasefire violations by Indian troops are aimed at diverting international attention from the conditions prevailing in India-held Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2019