India issues 2 back-to-back demarche to Pak for violations. But first a phone call

Pakistan Army Brigadier Faisal Qaadeer was overseeing infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir, died due to a heart attack on Monday, a counter terror operative said

India on Monday lodged protests with Pakistan for the killing of a woman and 2 minors in firing by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir in unprovoked cross-border firing and shelling by Pakistani forces on Sunday.

Locals look on at damaged properties following ceasefire violation by Pakistani forces yesterday, in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, Monday, April 13, 2020. Three civilians, a woman and two minors, were killed in the firing. (PTI)

A second demarche was issued soon after over Pakistani maritime security forces firing at Indian fishermen in two fishing vessels off the Gujarat coast. One fisherman was injured in this firing that New Delhi described as “a deliberate attack” at its nationals.

The two demarches, or formal diplomatic representation, were sent electronically.

The standard diplomatic practice has been to summon foreign envoys to the External Affairs Ministry, convey the government’s displeasure at the events concerned and hand over the demarche, or the formal diplomatic note. Since it was not possible to summon the Pakistan envoy to the foreign ministry due to the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, a phone call from the external affairs ministry to Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah preceded the demarche, a top government official told Hindustan Times.

In the demarche over the Jammu and Kashmir violation, India condemned in the strongest possible terms the deliberate targeting of innocent civilians that had led to the killing of Shamima Begum, 35, and Javid Ahmad Khan, 17, residents of Reddi Chokibal and 8-year-old Zeeshan Bashir of Kupwara’s Tumna village.

The demarche, people familiar with the developments said, underlined that Pakistani forces continue to resort to unprovoked firing and ceasefire violations and asked Islamabad to probe such heinous crimes against civilians.

In the second demarche, officials said, New Delhi lodged its strong protest at the deliberate attack and firing on Indian fishermen on board two Indian fishing boats ‘Omkar’ and ‘Mahasagar’ by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency vessel on 12 April. In this incident, one Indian fisherman was injured.

Islamabad had, earlier in the day, summoned India’s charge d’affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia to the Foreign Office to register Pakistan’s protest over what it called were ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in several sectors on Sunday.

To be sure, both countries have blamed each other for violating the 2003 ceasefire pact. Pakistan accuses the Indian Army for 708 ceasefire violations in 2020. The Indian Army has counted 1,144 ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army between January and March, with the highest number of violations (411) being recorded in March.

Terrorists often sneak into Jammu & Kashmir under cover fire from the Pakistani army. This task of coordinating the launch of terrorists is reported to be overseen by Pakistan Army Brigadier Faisal Qaadeer. Counter-terror operatives said there was information that he had died due to a heart attack on Monday.