Pakistan says ready to seek UN investigation into cross-border attacks

Pakistan on Wednesday said that it is ready to investigate through United Nations the recent violations along the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the two countries into the disputed Kashmir region.

Indian authorities say that Pakistani forces crossed the Line of Control (LoC), on Tuesday and killed two Indian soldiers.

“Pakistan strongly rejects the Indian allegation of an attack across the LoC on its military patrol in which two Indian soldiers were claimed to have been killed. These are baseless and unfounded allegations,” the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

A Foreign ministry statement said that Pakistan is prepared to hold investigations through the United Nations Military Observes Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) on the recent ceasefire violations on the Line of Control.

Pakistan and India declared a ceasefire along the LoC in 2003 and guns had been relatively silence since then.

“Pakistan remains committed to the ceasefire agreement of 2003 which is an important Confidence Building Measure and should be respected in letter and spirit,” the Pakistani statement said.

Pakistan also urged the need for abiding and strengthening existing military mechanisms to ensure that there is no recurrence of such violations in future, it said.

The statement said Pakistan is committed to a constructive, sustained and result-oriented process of engagement with India.

“We have made significant progress in the dialogue process. Pakistan has taken a number of steps to normalize and improve bilateral relations. It is important that both sides make serious efforts in maintaining this improvement and avoid negative propaganda,” it added.

In New Delhi, Pakistani High Commissioner was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs and a formal protest was lodged over the alleged Pakistani incursion.

Senior Pakistani and Indian military officials Wednesday talked on phone and discussed the current escalations, the military said.

The contact was established for the first time after Pakistan accused Indian troops of intrusion in Azad Kashmir and killing its one soldier on Sunday.

“Today Pakistan military DGMO (Director General Military Operations) talked to his Indian counterpart in India on hotline,” a Pakistani military official said.

“Pakistan rejected Indian army allegations of cross LoC firing by Pakistani troops and killing any Indian soldier,” the official said.

“Indian authorities were informed that Pakistan has carried out ground verification and checked and found nothing of this sort happened as being alleged by India,” he said.

The Pakistani military official described the Indian claim as ‘mere propaganda by Indian army.’

The official mentioned that Indian troops raided a Pakistani post on Sunday morning in which a Pakistan soldier Naik Aslam was killed. “The martyred solder was buried in his native village in Chakwal (in Punjab province) on Tuesday,” he went on to say.

“Indians are doing this propaganda and trying to divert attention of world from that raid and alleging Pakistan for cross border violation,” the Pakistani official said.

They had said the attack took place along the LoC when Pakistanis came about 100 meters into Indian-administered Kashmir and assaulted the patrol party.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC in November 2003 and guns had been relatively silent since then.

After years of a lull, the abrupt cross-border tension between the nuclear rivals has raised serious concerns across the world and calls for de-escalation are pouring in from important capitals.

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Jan 9 2013. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, South Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.