Amid unabated violation of ceasefire by Pakistan on the LoC, the Indian deputy high commissioner in Pakistan, Gopal Baglay, was summoned to the Pakistan foreign office on Wednesday who registered its strong protest over what is claims is Indian aggression on the LoC.
Islamabad also registered its protest with the Indian diplomat for what is described as the martyrdom of Captain Sarfraz. The Pak Army officer was killed in what Pakistan claimed was “unprovoked shelling” at Shakma.
Responding to Pak charges, India in turn accused Pakistan of resorting to unprovoked firing from 9 pm on Tuesday until 4 am on Wednesday from its post in the Marol sector to an Indian post in the Kargil sector involving small arms, automatic fire and mortar fire. India further said that appropriate retaliation was carried out by the Indian Army.
With the hostilities on the border continuing and both India and Pakistan accusing each other of violating the ceasefire, India remained non-committal on the proposed meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York next month.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin, when asked about the proposed dialogue, said on Wednesday that for it to take place, there needs to be a conducive atmosphere. He further said that “an environment in which terrorism or violence is perpetrated against India is not the right type of environment for this.”
The spokesperson added: “As far as any specific meeting that you are talking about, I think I had mentioned it last time that the dates that were being indicated were in the last week of September ... We look and examine every situation as it evolves.”
Noting that India expects Pakistan to abide by its publicly stated commitment not to allow its territory or territories under its control for violence or terrorism against India.
Asked for comments on the US designating a Pakistani madrassa as a terrorist organisation supporting the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Al Qaeda and Taliban, Mr Akbarudsin said this “merely underscores our long-held position that there exists a terrorist network and support framework in that region that needs to be targeted and dismantled.”