ISLAMABAD, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani parliament was informed on Monday that Indian troops have committed 319 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region since November.
Minister for Defense Khurram Dastgir Khan informed the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, that 66 civilians have been killed and 228 injured due to unprovoked firing by Indian forces since January 2013.
"The Indian army is deliberately targeting civilians along LoC," the minister said.
He said Pakistan Army is responding in a befitting manner and is taking all necessary safeguards to protect the life and property of citizens.
The minister said the objective of the Indian firing is to divert the attention of the world community from the gross human rights violations committed by Indian forces in the Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Pakistan and India declared ceasefire along the LoC in 2003. However, both routinely accuse each other of violation.
There has been escalation along the LoC since a militant attack on an army center in the Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 19 soldiers on Sept. 18 last year.
The Indian military blamed the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group for the attack and also pointed fingers at Pakistan. However, Islamabad rejected the charges and suggested an independent investigation.
