The ministry of foreign affairs on Tuesday summoned the Indian Chargé d’Affaires to register its strong protest over the killing of a Pakistani civilian after Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing along the Line of Control.

The ministry protested over the killing of Ghias, 60, a resident of Oli village in Kotli district as a result of Indian firing in the Nikial Sector of the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on August 21, a statement said.

The foreign office emphasised the need for maintaining peace at the LoC, while underscoring that such acts are in clear violation of the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding, reaffirmed in February 2021.

“It was stressed that utmost caution should be exercised by the Indian forces as targeting innocent civilians is contrary to human dignity and international human rights and humanitarian laws,” the statement said.

The Indian side was urged to investigate the incident and respect the Ceasefire Understanding, it added.