ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif Thursday said Pakistan does not expect improvement in ties with India as New Delhi was sticking with a hostile policy towards Islamabad.
In a tweet, Asif said: “India is violating ceasefire agreement time and again on the Line of Control and working boundary. In such circumstances we are not expecting improvement in relations between the two countries.” Last week, the Foreign Minister had told the National Assembly that India committed more than 400 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary since January in which 18 civilians were killed.
“Heavy weapons, including moderates, are frequently being used by the Indian forces on the civilian population on the Pakistani side of the LoC and the Working Boundary,” he had said.
Asif said the LoC violations were an attempt to divert the attention from the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the held Kashmir.
He said Kashmir was the main source of enmity between Pakistan and India. Asif said the world was recognising the Kashmiris’ just struggle but India was hell-bent to ignore the global hue and cry.
The foreign minister’s statement came after three UN observers narrowly escaped the Indian army’s attack along the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Two civilians were seriously injured in the incident.
Earlier, UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed concern over the situation developing along the LoC between Pakistan and India and urged the two countries to hold talks.
Yesterday, Pakistan recalled its High Commissioner to India Sohail Mehmood ‘for consultations’ after harassment of Pakistani diplomats in New Delhi.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammed Faisal said Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner’s vehicle carrying his children was stopped for 40 minutes. He urged India to practice local politics in its own country and should not involve Pakistan in its elections.
In 2003, Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC but in the recent months, India violated the peace deal numerous times.
Tensions between Pakistan and India have been high since the killing of a Kashmiri freedom fighter Burhan Wani in July 2016. An attack on Indian forces in September 2016 - that killed 19 soldiers in Uri area of held Kashmir - further heightened the tensions. India also claimed it had carried a ‘surgical strike’ to avenge the Uri attack. Pakistan rejected the Indian claim.
In January, Pakistan extended the MunaBao (India)-Khokhrapar (Pakistan) rail link agreement with India for another three years. Pakistan agreed to extend the agreement for another three years from February 1. 2018 to January 31, 2021. The agreement was signed in 2006. The Munabao- Khokhrapar train service connects Pakistan’s Sindh and India’s Rajasthan provinces.
Recently, Pakistan had organised a ‘family reunion’ for convicted Indian spy Kulbushan Jadhav – dubbed India’s ‘face of terror.’ Jadhav’s mother and wife – Avanti Jadhav and Chetenkul Jadhav –were allowed to sit across a glass barrier for 40 minutes and speak to each other.
India however claimed Jadhav’s family was mistreated and the meeting could have been conducted in a more relaxed environment. Pakistan said a convicted spy deserved no facilities adding the glass barrier was meant for security. Weeks later Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat said Indian army was ready to call Pakistan’s ‘nuclear bluff’ and violate the border to carry out any operation inside Pakistan.
“We will call the (nuclear) bluff of Pakistan. If we will have to really confront the Pakistanis, and a task is given to us, we are not going to say we cannot cross the border because they have nuclear weapons. We will have to call their nuclear bluff,” he added.
Foreign Minister Khawaja Mohammed Asif and military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor had given a shut-up call to India soon after Rawat’s statement. Both of them warned India not to underestimate Pakistan’s military strength.
