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Pakistan summons Indian envoy over LoC firing

22 August 2013 01:09 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Pakistan on Wednesday summoned a senior Indian diplomat and lodged a protest over the killing of an army captain in firing by Indian troops, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Military officials said the army captain was killed and another soldier was injured in Indian firing along the Line of Control ( LoC), which divides the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region.

It is the latest incident in the ongoing escalations along the LoC, which has heightened diplomatic tensions between the South Asian nuclear rivals.

Pakistan and India had declared a ceasefire in 2003, however troops of both countries now routinely fire at each other. They accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

"The Indian deputy high commissioner in Islamabad was called in to the Foreign Office today and a strong protest was lodged over the unprovoked firing by Indian army soldiers last night in the Shakma sector, Kargil, which resulted in the martyrdom of a Pakistani army captain and injury to another soldier," the Foreign Ministry said.

A statement said Pakistan conveyed its serious concern on the continued violations of the ceasefire across the LoC by the Indian army over the past weeks and the escalation of tensions which is counterproductive and detrimental for stability and peace in the region.

"While Pakistan is committed to a constructive, sustained and result-oriented process of engagement, it calls upon India to take serious and credible measures to prevent further ceasefire violations and reduce tensions," the statement said.

The army said earlier that Captain Sarfraz died due to Indian troops' unprovoked shelling Tuesday night while another soldier Yasin has also been seriously wounded.