India lodges protest with Pakistan over brutal mutilation of soldier

India on Wednesday summoned Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan, Syed Haider Shah to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and registered a strong protest over the mutilation of the body of an Indian soldier by a terrorist who escaped across the Line of Control.

Shah was conveyed the Government's grave concern and a strong protest was lodged at the recent escalation in the incidents of ceasefire violations by the Pakistan side at the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), which have resulted into several fatalities and casualties on the Indian side among civilians and security forces personnel.

The Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan was conveyed the Government's expectation that Pakistan will not take any step inimical to peace along the LoC and IB and to the security of India.

This development comes after the Centre had assured that the MEA will take cognisance of this heinous development, while adding that nothing could be more atrocious than this.

"Nothing can be more atrocious than this. The human rights of soldiers should enjoy precedence over the human rights of anybody else," Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said.

Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister stated that the barbaric killing of the army jawan is an eye opener for all those who keep raising the bogey of human rights, especially in Kashmir and added that the MEA and the Defence Ministry will take cognisance of the sequence of events.

On October 28th, in an encounter close to the Line of Control in the Machhal sector, an Indian Army soldier lost his life and a terrorist was neutralised.

The Indian Army promised retribution after the terrorists mutilated the jawan's body, apparently beheading him, before fleeing back into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir under the cover of firing provided by the Pakistan Army.

"One militant was also killed in the gun-battle. But the despicable act of mutilating the jawan's body reflects the barbarism pervading in official and unofficial organisations in Pakistan," said the Army spokesperson.

"The terrorists managed to escape due to the covering fire provided to them from the Pakistan Army posts. The incident will be responded to appropriately," he added.

The soldier was identified as Manjeet Singh of 17 Sikh Light Infantry.