Foreign Diplomats Visit Civilian Areas of Pakistan Hit by Indian Shelling

A team of Pakistan-based foreign diplomats  were taken to the Neelum Valley of Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to witness firsthand whether the Indian army had “smashed four terror launch pads” there early Sunday, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The diplomats have been taken to the Nauseri, Shahkot and Jura sectors near the Line of Control (LoC), as well as the Nausada village, which has suffered severe damage in attacks by Indian troops.

The trip has been arranged so they can verify for themselves the claims made by the Indian army chief.

Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor briefed the diplomats and media persons about the situation in the area. The visitors were also shown artillery shells fired by the Indian troops from across the LoC.

No official from the Indian High Commission joined the team visiting the LoC today, Dr Faisal said.

“The Indian side has not joined us in the visit to the LoC nor have they provided coordinates of the alleged ‘launchpads’,” the FO spokesperson tweeted. He added that India had also failed to share the coordinates of launchpads which the Indian army claimed to have destroyed.

“‘Claims’ by Indian Army Chief remain just that: ‘claims’,”  he added.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Sunday strongly rejected the Indian army chief’s claim of destroying three camps in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

He also commented  on the absence of Indian officials: “What good [is the] Indian High Commission which can’t stand with its Army Chief?”

“Indian High Commission staff didn’t have the moral courage to accompany fellow diplomats in Pakistan to LOC,” he tweeted. “However, a group of foreign diplomats and media is on the way to LOC to see the truth on [the] ground.

Meanwhile, DG ISPR has advised Indian media to avoid carrying out baseless and unfounded propaganda and follow the journalistic ethos of Pakistan Media for reporting with responsibility.

Earlier,  nine soldiers of the Indian army were killed and many others injured when Pakistan Army troops gave a befitting response to Indian ceasefire violations in Jura, Shahkot and Nousehri Khuiratta and Kotkhetera Tatta Pani sectors along the Line of Control (LoC).