Islamabad/New Delhi, August 3
The Pakistan Army said on Saturday that the Indian troops had used “cluster ammunition” to target civilians across the line of control and killed two persons, an allegation the Indian Army rejected as “pure propaganda”.
Pakistan Army Spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a statement the international community should take notice of the “violation” of the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law.
“Indian Army uses cluster ammunition along LoC deliberately targeting civilian population…This is violation of Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law,” he said.
Ghafoor said the Indian troops on the night of July 30 targeted innocent citizens in the Neelum Valley, killing two civilians, including a four-year-old boy while injuring 11 others.
The Indian Army in New Delhi rejected the claim of having used any cluster ammunition, calling the allegations by Pakistan as “pure propaganda”.
Separately, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan would highlight the alleged use of cluster ammunition by India at the international level.
“Strongly condemn the blatant use of cluster ammunition by Indian Security Forces targeting innocent civilians along the Line Of Control. This is clear violation of the Geneva Convention & International Laws,” he said in a tweet.
In New Delhi, the Army authorities said a photograph circulated by Qureshi on Twitter about the use of ammunition was one of mortar bombs and not of cluster ammunition.
“The photographs is of mortar bombs and not of cluster ammunition,” a top army official said.
Rejecting Pakistan’s allegations, the Indian Army said the Pakistan Army regularly attempted to push terrorists through infiltrations and opens up with multitude of weapons to assist them.
India, during numerous talks at the level of Directorate of Military Operations between the two countries, has maintained the right to respond to such acts, the army authorities said.
“Such responses are only against military targets and infiltrating terrorists who are aided by the Pakistan Army,” the top Indian Army official said.
