India on Saturday summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission and lodged a strong protest over the unprovoked ceasefire on multiple sectors along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India also condemned, in the strongest terms, the “deliberate targeting” of innocent civilians by Pakistani forces, saying it was highly deplorable that Pakistan chose a festive occasion in India to disrupt peace and perpetrate violence in Jammu and Kashmir through coordinated firing along the the LoC.

The Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission of Pakistan was summoned by the Ministry of External Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged over unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces, on multiple sectors along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on November 13, resulting in the death of four innocent civilians and serious injuries to 19 others,” the MEA said.

According to official data, Pakistan has resorted to 4,052 incidents of ceasefire violations in the current year as against 3,233 in 2019.

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 2019.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he lit a lamp to express his gratitude to the soldiers of the country on the occasion of Deepavali.

The Defence Minister said when the country was celebrating Deepavali, Indian soldiers were performing their national duty of protecting the borders. “I salute such brave and dutiful soldiers,” Mr. Singh said.