New Delhi, October 10-Pakistan on Thursday responded to India’s warning against any “adventurism” on the borders in Jammu and Kashmir by saying it is capable of responding to Indian “aggression”. “Pakistan has the ability to reply to Indian aggression. We do not want the situation on the borders of two nuclear neighbours to escalate into confrontation,” Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was quoted as saying by the media.
“India must demonstrate caution and behave with responsibility,” Asif said soon after his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley warned that the cost of any adventurism by Pakistan on the borders of J&K would be “unaffordable”.
In Islamabad, the Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (Retd) said war is not the solution to any issue but “India should realise the fact that Pakistan is a nuclear power”. He said Pakistan will continue to provide diplomatic, political and moral support to the Kashmiris. The Kashmir issue must be resolved according to UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, Baloch said.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam claimed India was to blame for the tensions on the border. “There is loss of life and property on the Pakistani side. The Pakistan Army is careful about not killing civilians,” she told the media. Aslam contended that Pakistan “did not start any aggression” on the border but “we will take action to the fullest capacity”. She further said that if India wanted, the two sides could talk and end the face off.
In a related development, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee on Friday to discuss the ceasefire violations. Earlier, Sartaj Aziz, Sharif’s adviser on national security and foreign affairs, said, “For seven days now, the Indian security forces have been firing and shelling across the LoC and working boundary… We call upon the India to immediately cease fire and shelling and help us preserve tranquillity.”
-INDIA TODAY
