NEW DELHI: India on Saturday summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to register a strong protest over alleged heavy shelling by Pakistani forces on multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) on Friday that left at least nine people dead, local reports said.

They quoted a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India also condemned, in the strongest terms, the “deliberate targeting” of innocent civilians by Pakistani forces, saying it was highly deplorable that Pakistan chose a festive occasion in India to disrupt peace and perpetrate violence in held Jammu and Kashmir through coordinated firing along the LoC.

“The Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission of Pakistan was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged over unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces, on multiple sectors along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on Nov 13, resulting in the death of four innocent civilians and serious injuries to 19 others,” the MEA said.

Apart from the civilians, five security personnel were killed in the Pakistani offensive, reports said.

Meanwhile, China too did not seem to have escaped India’s notice. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed troops at Longewala Post in which he asserted that India will give “prachand jawab” (fierce reply) if it is provoked.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2020