The Asian Age

Pak PM wishes to defuse tension

- SHAFQAT ALI ISLAMABAD, AUG. 8

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday directed the foreign ministry to defuse the tension between Pakistan and India over the recent violations at the Line of Control ( LoC), claimed by both the sides.

“The Prime Minister was told by the military officials that Pakistan did not fire along the LoC and it was in fact India that did so,” said a senior government official referring to the high- level meeting on the issue.

Mr Sharif had summoned the emergency meeting with the foreign ministry and other high- ranked security officials over the skirmishes along the LoC.

“The meeting reviewed the strained situation that has emerged between Pakistan and India after the LoC firing,” the official added.

“The meeting was attended by the highranked military and other security officials,” he said. “The Prime Minister was briefed on the Indian allegation­s with reference to the LoC incident,” the official said.

The Prime Minister, he said, asked the foreign ministry officials to defuse the tension so and prepare ground for talks with India. Mr Sharif said the tension will not benefit either Pakistan or India and talks were the only solution to all the issues. He said Pakistan is committed to ensure peace along the LoC and dialogue with India to solve all the issues.

Earlier, interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that unnecessar­y blame game unleashed by India would harm the Pakistan’s peace initiative­s and vitiate the efforts for improving bilateral relations between the two countries.

In a statement‚ he said the propaganda tactics and unnecessar­y allegation­s can harm the peace process‚ which is not in the interest of any country. Mr Khan said Indian media’s hue and cry over alleged Line of Control incident is not understand­able. He asked, “How was it possible for Pakistan Army to go up to five km across the Line of Control to kill Indian troops despite barbed wire and heavy concentrat­ion of Indian forces”.

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Nawaz Sharif

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