New Delhi: Terming as “serious and provocative” the continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and International Border, India today said it was “not very conducive” for the bilateral ties.
The remarks by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid ground rules for future talks, saying that “any meaningful bilateral dialogue necessarily requires an environment that is free from terrorism and violence”.
However, Jaitley hoped that the “situation would be better” after discussions between the Directors General of Military Operations Lt Gen PR Kumar and his Pakistani counterpart Maj Gen Sarfaraz Chaudhary.
Jaitley also said both the Army and the BSF at the LoC and IB respectively are fully alert and responding effectively to every situation emerging there.
“Incursions (ceasefire violations) at both the Line of Control and the International Border are serious and they are provocative...these incidents are creating an environment which is not very conducive for relationship between the two countries,” he said.
The minister was asked at a press conference to comment on the recent spate of ceasefire violations along the LoC and the IB by Pakistan and the killing of a jawan in an encounter with militants in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir earlier today.
Against the backdrop of frequent ceasefire violations and Pakistani High Commissioner's meeting with separatist Kashmiri leaders, India had called off the Foreign Secretary-level talks with it scheduled for August 25.
There have been 24 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in August. Two villagers have been killed and 17 others, including 4 BSF jawans, suffered injuries in such incidents.
Earlier this month, the BSF said the firing by Pakistani forces in the last 45 days was possibly the “heaviest” since the 1971 war. “Yes it is (the heaviest firing) for last so many years -I think may be after the 1971 war. 45 days is a very long period for this kind of thing to happen”, BSF Director General D K Pathak had told reporters in Jammu.
