Pakistan's prime minister condemns Indian attack

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AA) - Pakistan's prime minister on Sunday condemned Indian forces for allegedly attacking and using banned cluster ammunition against civilians near the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border dividing the disputed Jammu and Kashmir.

Imran Khan urged the UN Security Council to take notice of the use of prohibited weapons by Indian forces.

"I condemn India's attack across LOC on innocent civilians & it's use of cluster munitions in violation of int humanitarian law and it's own commitments under the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. UNSC [UN Security Council] must take note of this international threat to peace & security", Khan said on Twitter.

The statement came shortly before an urgent meeting of the country's National Security Committee in the capital city of Islamabad between top civil and military officials.

"It is time to end the long night of suffering for the people of Occupied Kashmir. They must be allowed to exercise their right to self determination according to UN SC resolutions.The only road to peace & security in South Asia runs through a peaceful & just settlement of Kashmir," Khan added.

Noting U.S. President Donald Trump's offer last month to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute, Khan said such action was now needed as the situation deteriorates along the LoC with new "aggressive actions" being taken by India.

"This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis," Khan warned.

On Saturday, the Pakistani army claimed that Indian soldiers used cluster munitions to "deliberately target" civilians -- including women and children -- in the Neelum Valley near the LoC, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law.

Due to their severe impact on non-combatants, the use of cluster bombs is prohibited under the 2008 international Convention on Cluster Munitions.

However, the Indian Armed Forces dismissed the claims as "lie, deceit, and deception."

"Pakistan army regularly attempts to push terrorists through infiltrations and opens up with multitude of weapons to assist them," it said in a statement.

The two South Asian nuclear neighbors have repeatedly accused each other of violating the ceasefire along Kashmir's line of control in recent years, having fought three wars in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir -- since they were partitioned in 1947.