New Delhi: Amid the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan over ceasefire violations, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India, Mr Abdul Basit, on Saturday said his country is committed to improving ties with India and that issues between the countries could be resolved if they have the “will”.
Top government sources, meanwhile, said India is expected to take forward its engagement with Pakistan to resolve all outstanding bilateral issues notwithstanding flare-ups at the border as “war is not the option”.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army on Saturday yet again violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir by targeting several Indian positions with small-arm fire, the second such incident in the past 12 hours. As tension escalated along the border, the Pakistan Rangers also refused sweets from the BSF on the occasion of Eid.
Speaking after meeting the Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid here on the occasion of Id, Mr Basit said, “We hope relations between the two countries will improve and if both sides have the will, then there is no reason our issues, such as poverty, illiteracy and disease, cannot be resolved. Pakistan is always committed to improve ties to resolve the issues,” he said.
The Pakistan high commissioner’s comments come amidst heightened tension along the border due to ceasefire violations. India has warned Pakistan of “effective and forceful” responses to unprovoked firing and cross-border terrorism.
Top government sources said New Delhi believes that dialogue is the only option to resolve all pending irritants with Islamabad and that the Prime Ministers of both countries have reached an understanding for it at their recent meeting in Ufa, Russia. “Talks are on track. Dialogue is the only way forward as war is not the option,” the sources said later on.
