Amid differing voices emanating from Pakistan over resuming talks with India, Pakistan on Thursday said it was committed to the decisions taken in Ufa to lower tensions even as it asserted that Kashmir was a “disputed territory” and no unilateral action can change its status.
“Pakistan is committed to the decisions agreed at Ufa between the Prime Ministers,” Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said while addressing a weekly briefing here.
Mr. Khalilullah said it was decided at a meeting between Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Ufa, Russia that the relevant officials would meet to discuss the issue.
Regular meetingsDuring their meeting, the two leaders agreed that the existing mechanism of regular meetings between DG Rangers, DG BSFs and DGMOs should be held to ensure full compliance with the 2003 ceasefire understanding.
Mr. Khalilullah comments came amid a blame game between the two countries over shooting down of an alleged spy drone and ceasefire violation at the Line of Control (LoC).
While India lodged a protest with Pakistan both in New Delhi and in Islamabad, the Pakistan Foreign Office summoned Indian High Commissioner T.C.A. Raghavan and lodged a strong protest over “air space violation” by an alleged Indian “spy” drone near the LoC and “ceasefire violation“.
The Pakistan Army on Wednesday claimed that the Indian drone was being used for aerial photography near the LoC in the Bhimber area of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and was “brought down for violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity.”
Needed: peace on LoCTalking about the firing across the LoC and ceasefire violations, the spokesperson said that peace and tranquillity on the LoC and the Working Boundary was in the interest of both nations.
He said that ceasefire violation would not affect the planned meetings.
On Monday, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said “no dialogue will take place with India unless Kashmir issue is included in the agenda.”
Mr. Aziz had also asked India to provide “more evidence and information” on the Mumbai attack case.
Reacting to Mr. Aziz’s statement, India had said that it would go by the spirit of the joint statement that laid out a roadmap for restarting the dialogue process after talks between Mr. Modi and Mr. Sharif.
At the briefing, Mr. Khalilullah rejected the Indian High Commissioner’s remarks that “part of Kashmir was under illegal occupation of Pakistan” and said Kashmir was a disputed territory and no unilateral action could change its status.
‘Kashmir part of agenda’Mr. Khalilullah said Pakistan wanted to resolve all issues with India through talks and Kashmir would be part of the agenda whenever the talks are held.
