Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday claimed at least six civilians including two women were killed and 26 others injured when Indian forces took to ‘unprovoked firing of mortars’ along the Working Boundary.

Military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor said Indian troops “targeted civilians population in Chappar, Harpal and Charwa Sector.” “Indian brutality on World Peace Day martyred 6 innocent Pakistanis, injured 26 along working boundary in Chappar/Harpal/Charwa Sector,” he tweeted.

In a separate statement, the military said Pakistani troops returned fire but blamed India for initiating the gun battle in the village of Charwa. Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India but claimed by its entirety.

Such exchanges of gunfire are common in Kashmir, which has been the cause of two of three wars between the two nuclear-armed countries since 1947, the year they gained independence from Britain.

Earlier in the day, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Pakistan remained open to resuming a comprehensive dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues, especially Kashmir and discuss measures to maintain peace and security in the region.

“This dialogue must be accompanied by an end to India’s campaign of subversion and state sponsored terrorism against Pakistan, including from across our western border,” Mr Abbasi said.

He called for a just, peaceful and expeditious resolution of the Kashmir dispute. He asked the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy on Kashmir to help resolve the longstanding issue.