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Pakistan ask India to allow UN Observers to visit LoC
FO spokesperson says govt emphasises on resolving issue through diplomatic channels
APP
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan on Friday urged the Indian government to allow the representatives of United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to visit their side of Kashmir across Line of Control to check and prepare independent report on recent violations of ceasefire.
While addressing weekly press briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said that the UNMOGIP was an independent group of the United Nations and Pakistan had allowed their representatives to visit its side of LoC. She also said that now the India should also allow them to visit their side of the LoC to check the damage caused due to recent violations of ceasefire across LoC.
She remarked that Pakistan took the UN observers to its side of the LoC and Working Boundary to show them the damage and pattern of fire carried out by the Indian side. The observers would have compiled a report and sent it to the UN as per practice. She said that the UNMOGIP was a neutral observer and the best option for India was to allow the observers to visit its part of the line of control to assess the situation and damage.
The spokesperson said that its investigation and recommendations should be acceptable to India. She said that Pakistan had strongly condemned the recent violation of ceasefire across LoC and issued strong statements in this regard. She said that Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz issued a statement and expressed his deep concern over the recent escalation of ceasefire violations at the Line of Control and Working Boundary by the Indian security forces.
She said that Sartaj had said that even on Eid day the Indian forces, in complete disregard of the festive event, carried on the fire and put four innocent lives to death. “Sartaj Aziz called upon the Indian government to immediately cease fire and shelling and help preserve tranquility.” She said the adviser told the Indian government that the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had been exercising utmost restraint and responsibility despite this unprovoked violation of ceasefire.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan while strongly protesting with the government of India, emphasised the need to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels and called for restraining its forces from constant violation of the ceasefire. She clarified that Pakistan did not start the violation. “We did not start violation and not escalated the situation at LoC and just responded the fire. It was strong but measured,” she added.
She said that India had escalated the situation by starting the violating of ceasefire across LoC. To a question, the spokesperson said that through violation of ceasefire across LoC India could not force Pakistan to come on the negotiation table. She added that the issue of recent violation of ceasefire across LoC had been discussed in the United Nations by Pakistan's Permanent Representative Masood Khan.
The spokesperson said that the international community had expressed its response on the violation of ceasefire across LoC and it had asked India to show restrain and resolve the issued through dialogue. She explained that Pakistan had done a lot to resume dialogue process with India and the scheduled foreign secretary level talks in August were canceled by India.
To another question, she said that there was nothing to share with the press about the progress on the foreign secretary level talks with India so far. About the recent drone attacks in North Waziristan, the spokesperson said that Pakistan had the same policy on drone attacks. She said that these were violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and illegal therefore Pakistan always condemned these attacks.
She said that Pakistan had taken the issue of drone strikes at various international forums and even at the Human Right organization of the Untied Nations in Geneva.
Replying to a question about killing of some Iranian security officials near Pakistan's border in Baluchistan, the spokesperson said that through better border management and coordination between Pakistan and Iran, the situation could be improved.
She categorically stated that there is no safe haven for terrorists inside Pakistan adding that there is need to work together through intelligence sharing and working on several other available mechanism in this regard.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk