Pak systematically targeting our civilians: MEA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday lodged a strong protest with Islamabad and conveyed India's anger over the unprovoked firing by the Pakistani troops.

"MEA Secretary Anil Wadhwa lodged a protest and conveyed our anger at the unprovoked firing by the Pakistan troops since August 8," MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup told the media here.

"Particularly with regard to the incident of yesterday and today, that saw the systematic targeting of our civilian population and the use of high calibre weapons including artillery," he added.

The MEA spokesperson said that the issue of continuous unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops since August 8 has been raised in several occasions at the DGMO-level meet.

He also said that the military authorities in Pakistan had assured India that the firing would stop and their troops will be instructed accordingly, but the firing continued till today.

Swarup further said it has been conveyed to Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, that his government needed to take necessary steps to ensure that their military does not undermine peace and tranquillity along the International Boundary and the Line of Control.

Basit, who was summoned at the South Block in New Delhi earlier today, put the ball in India's court on the recent incidents of ceasefire violations.

"We are concerned about the ceasefire violations. In the month of July and August, there have been close to around 70 ceasefire violations from this side of the working boundary. We are obviously very concerned about it," Basit said.