LoC quiet; India yet to respond to Khar's offer for talks
05:50AM Thu 17 Jan, 2013
[caption id="attachment_22172" align="alignnone" width="217"] LOC-Poonch[/caption]
JAMMU/ NEW DELHI: It was all quiet at the Line of Control (LoC) after Indian and Pakistan forces agreed not to violate the ceasefire, army sources said on Thursday.
There was no incident of firing reported from the LoC on Wednesday night, an Army source said.
"The Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan Wednesday had agreed not to violate the ceasefire and exercise maximum restraint," according to an Indian Army spokesperson in New Delhi.
The agreement between the DGMOs came after more than 10 days of heightened border tension between the two countries.
The tensions began on January 6 when a Pakistani soldier was killed allegedly in firing by Indian troops.
Two days later, Pakistani soldiers brutally killed two Indian soldiers, including beheading one of them, on the LoC.
Govt takes note of Khar's offer
While not rejecting Pakistan's offer for talks between foreign ministers over LoC violations, India continues to maintain that Pakistan bring to justice those who mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers.
Government sources here said they have taken note of Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar's offer of talks. The fact that Pakistan did not take up diplomatically the alleged killing of its third soldier is also being seen positively here.
"The protest was only at the DGMO level and it suggests they are trying to cool things down. Now there's also the offer of talks which we have taken note of but they still have to respond to our main demand that investigations be carried out in the barbaric manner in which Pakistan army has behaved," said an official here.
Stating that continued tension along the LoC is not in the interest of peace and stability in the region, Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday night offered to discuss the issue at the level of the foreign ministers.
In what appeared to be a climb-down after her "warmongering" remark against Indian leaders, Khar also said that Pakistan and India are both important countries of South Asia and that it is imperative that they demonstrate "requisite responsibility for ensuring peace by addressing all concerns through dialogue".
"Instead of issuing belligerent statements by the military and political leaders from across the border and ratcheting up tension, it is advisable for the two countries to discuss all concerns related to Line of Control (LoC) with a view to reinforcing respect for the ceasefire, may be at the level of the Foreign Ministers to sort out things," said Khar in a late night statement.
Khar said Pakistan has invested hugely in the dialogue process and has worked energetically to keep the dialogue process moving forward in a sustained and constructive manner. "Pakistan has gone out of the way to build constructive relationship with India," she said.
Source: TOI
LOC-Poonch[/caption]
JAMMU/ NEW DELHI: It was all quiet at the Line of Control (LoC) after Indian and Pakistan forces agreed not to violate the ceasefire, army sources said on Thursday.
There was no incident of firing reported from the LoC on Wednesday night, an Army source said.
"The Director General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan Wednesday had agreed not to violate the ceasefire and exercise maximum restraint," according to an Indian Army spokesperson in New Delhi.
The agreement between the DGMOs came after more than 10 days of heightened border tension between the two countries.
The tensions began on January 6 when a Pakistani soldier was killed allegedly in firing by Indian troops.
Two days later, Pakistani soldiers brutally killed two Indian soldiers, including beheading one of them, on the LoC.
Govt takes note of Khar's offer
While not rejecting Pakistan's offer for talks between foreign ministers over LoC violations, India continues to maintain that Pakistan bring to justice those who mutilated bodies of Indian soldiers.
Government sources here said they have taken note of Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar's offer of talks. The fact that Pakistan did not take up diplomatically the alleged killing of its third soldier is also being seen positively here.
"The protest was only at the DGMO level and it suggests they are trying to cool things down. Now there's also the offer of talks which we have taken note of but they still have to respond to our main demand that investigations be carried out in the barbaric manner in which Pakistan army has behaved," said an official here.
Stating that continued tension along the LoC is not in the interest of peace and stability in the region, Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday night offered to discuss the issue at the level of the foreign ministers.
In what appeared to be a climb-down after her "warmongering" remark against Indian leaders, Khar also said that Pakistan and India are both important countries of South Asia and that it is imperative that they demonstrate "requisite responsibility for ensuring peace by addressing all concerns through dialogue".
"Instead of issuing belligerent statements by the military and political leaders from across the border and ratcheting up tension, it is advisable for the two countries to discuss all concerns related to Line of Control (LoC) with a view to reinforcing respect for the ceasefire, may be at the level of the Foreign Ministers to sort out things," said Khar in a late night statement.
Khar said Pakistan has invested hugely in the dialogue process and has worked energetically to keep the dialogue process moving forward in a sustained and constructive manner. "Pakistan has gone out of the way to build constructive relationship with India," she said.
Source: TOI
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