ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal said on Tuesday that India has violated the ceasefire agreement more than 100 times in 2017, making the entire situation quite alarming for Pakistan.
The foreign office spokesman was speaking to Hamid Mir in Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, where he responded to a question pertaining to back door diplomacy keeping in view the terse relations between the neighbouring countries.
Dr Faisal said that Pakistan cannot ignore the situation at the Line of Control, giving the example of the recent loss of lives in the past few days.
The FO spokesman said that Pakistan is also keenly observing the budding nexus between India and Israel, as the two countries edge closer towards on a free trade pact, which will likely include defence cooperation.
The foreign office spokesman welcomed the statements given earlier by Department of State’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ambassador Alice Wells.
Wells earlier said that the US seeks to move towards a new relationship with Pakistan, based on mutual interest in realising a stable and prosperous region.
Dr Faisal Javed said that the US diplomat’s statements are in accordance to the United Nations charter, respecting sovereignty of other countries and not interfering in their personal matters.
On Jan 11, the Pakistan Foreign Office said it was in talks with the United States over matters of mutual interest, including security assistance, but it was too soon to reveal more at this point in time.
In his briefing last week, Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said the two countries were in talks over matters of mutual interest, including security assistance, details of which cannot be revealed to media just now.
Indian ceasefire violations may lead to strategic miscalculation, warns Pakistan
On Monday, Pakistan had warned New Delhi over its deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas across the LoC, saying ceasefire violations by India may lead to a “strategic miscalculation.”
“The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas and troops carrying out maintenance activities is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws,” a statement by Pakistan’s Foreign Office.
The statement came after Islamabad summoned Indian Deputy High Commission JP Singh to its Foreign Office following the martyrdom of four Pakistani troops in unprovoked Indian firing across the LoC.
“In 2018, the Indian forces have carried out more than 100 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary in just 15 days,” the statement said. “This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1900 ceasefire violations.”
