The Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday said that India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire understanding and maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Control and the International Border.

Pakistan has resorted to more than 2,050 unprovoked ceasefire violations until now this year in which 21 Indians died.

The Ministry of External Affairs statement comes amid reports that Pakistan was moving additional forces to the border with India.

The MEA spokesperson said, “India has repeatedly called upon Pakistan to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire understanding and maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Control and the International Border. Indian forces exercise maximum restraint and respond to unprovoked violations and attempts at cross border terrorist infiltration.”

He further said, “India has highlighted its concerns at the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan forces, including in support of cross border terrorist infiltration, and targeting of Indian civilians and border posts by them. This year, they resorted to over 2050 unprovoked ceasefire violations in which 21 Indians died.”

The statement comes as the Pakistan Army retrieved the bodies of two of its Punjabi soldiers on September 13, killed by the Indian Army at the LoC after raising the white flag.

“Indian forces exercise maximum restraint and respond to unprovoked violations and attempts at cross border terrorist infiltration,” the MEA spokesman said.

Pakistan has been raising the Kashmir issue to corner India on all forums possible, but without success. At the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Tuesday, Pakistan raked up the Kashmir issue after failing to garner support even from its staunch allies on J-K.

In his address at the UNHRC session, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had said that Jammu and Kashmir had been converted into the “largest prison” with people being denied access to basic amenities following the abrogation of Article 370.

However, the Indian delegation led by Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh, effectively rebutted Pakistan’s allegations on human rights violations in Kashmir.

India said there was a need to call out those who are “misusing” the United Nations Human Rights Council platform for “malicious political agenda under the garb of human rights.”

In a strong rebuttal, India said, “This fabricated narrative comes from the epicentre of global terrorism, where ringleaders were sheltered for years.”

Last week, Army chief General Bipin Rawat, as well as Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, reviewed security preparedness along the LoC, in the light of military threat from Pakistan.