ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by Indian security forces on a bus carrying civilians near the Neelum valley along the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Kashmir.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office, Mr Sharif said the soldiers who embraced martyrdom on Wednesday were held in the highest esteem.

`The whole nation will remember this sacrifice of our valiant jawans who left no stone unturned while defending their beloved motherland,` he added.

The prime minister said that despite `our exercise of maximum restraint in the wake of continuing naked Indian aggression along the LoC resulting in the martyrdom of innocent civilians, including children and women, India has failed to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

No responsible state can permit tar-geting innocent civilians in general and ambulances carrying the injured in particular.

He accused India of trying to divert the attention of the international community from the grave human rights violations and atrocities being committed by its troops in held Kashmir.

Mr Sharif said Pakistan would never abandon their Kashmiri brethren and continue to support them in their just and legitimate struggle for their right to self-determination in accordance with the UN resolutions.

The prime minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed souls and grant of courage to the loved ones of the martyrs to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude.

The federal cabinet also strongly condemned the Indian aggression on the LoC and offered Fateha for those martyred by the Indian shelling.

Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters after the cabinet meeting that the government was taking up the matter of Indian aggression at all levels.