3,800 Ceasefire Violations By Pak This Year: MEA

Pakistani troops have resorted to more than 3,800 incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir this year and even supported smuggling of arms and narcotic substances, including through drones and quadcopters, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said Pakistani forces have continued to engage in unprovoked ceasefire violations, often from civilian areas, to support infiltration of militants across the LoC.

"This is a clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding

between the two sides. This year, till date, Pakistani forces have carried out more than 3,800 unprovoked ceasefire violations," he said at a media briefing.

The MEA spokesperson said there have also been attempts to drop arms and ammunition close to the LoC in the garb of civilian activities.

"We have also witnessed that Pakistan's aid and abetment to crossborder militancy, smuggling of arms and narcotic substances have spilled over to the International Boundary including through usage of drones and quadcopters," he said.

Srivastava said such violations are regularly highlighted to Pakistan through diplomatic channels and at the regular DGMO- (Director General of Military Operations) level talks.

Asked about the possibility of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklisting Pakistan for failing to check financing, Srivastava said the global anti-terror watchdog has laid out standards and procedures for such action.

"It is understood that Pakistan has addressed only 21 action items so far out of the total 27 points in the FATF action plan. Six important action items are yet to be addressed," he said.

"As is well known, Pakistan continues to provide safe havens to terrorist entities and individuals and has also not yet taken any action against several militant entities and individuals including those proscribed by the UNSC such as Masood Azhar, Dawood Ibrahim, Zakirur-Rahman Lakhvi etc," Srivastava added.

The FATF began its three-day virtual plenary meeting on Wednesday. The FATF had put Pakistan on its "grey list" in 2018 for failing to contain terror financing in the country. The global body has been periodically reviewing the implementation of the action plan it had recommended to Pakistan to curb financial activities of militant groups. Notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic in the region, Pakistan has been resorting to unprovoked ceasefire violations along the LoC and making concerted efforts to push militants into Kashmir. Pakistani hostilities increased after India announced its decision to withdraw the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide the state into two union territories in August last year.