ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Office said on Thursday that despite the fact that Indian forces continue unprovoked firing on the Working Boundary and the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan remains committed to talks with India to resolve all outstanding issues.
In his weekly media briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, the Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said that Pakistan is committed to the decisions announced at the recent Ufa meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian Counterpart Narendra Modi.
His remarks came in response to a question about whether the recent ceasefire violations by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) have any adverse impact on the upcoming meetings between Pakistani and Indian officials.
On July 10, the prime ministers of Pakistan and India met in the Russian City of Ufa on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and expressed readiness to discuss all outstanding issues to promote peace and development in the region.
It was decided in the meeting that senior military officials of the two countries will hold meetings to lower tensions along the LoC, a de facto border that divides Jammu and Kashmir.
The spokesman pointed out that ceasefire violation took place in the past also but despite that both sides met from time to time.
“Peace and tranquility on line and control and working boundary is in interest of both Pakistan and India,” he said.
Pakistan lodges protest with India over airspace, ceasefire violations
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office summoned the Indian High Commissioner Dr. T. C. A. Raghavan in Islamabad on Thursday and registered strong protest with him over violation of Pakistani airspace by an Indian drone.
On Wednesday, an Indian spy drone was shot down by Pakistani troops which intruded into Pakistan along the LoC near Bhimber town of Azad Kashmir.
A protest was also lodged for the recent unprovoked ceasefire violations by the Indian BSF on working boundary in Chaprar sector near Sialkot and in Neza Pir sector of the LoC near Rawlakot.
Four Pakistani civilians including an 18-year-old girl were killed and five others sustained injuries in the Indian firing.
The Indian High Commissioner assured to convey the message to his authorities accordingly.
