By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan has urged European diplomats to play a role in defusing the prevailing tension with India and conveyed to them Islamabad’s concern over “repeated violation of the Line of Control (LOC)” in Kashmir by the Indian Army, Radio Pakistan reported Friday.
The Pakistan government also feels that the option of taking up the issue at the UN Security Council remains open.
Following discussions with European diplomats in Islamabad, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani told media persons that the members of the diplomatic community expressed concern over the rising tension and wanted peaceful relations between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan hoped that the European diplomats would play a positive role in de-escalating the current state of violations on the LoC, Jilani said, adding that the Pakistani defence authorities have already briefed the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) about these violations.
Asked if Pakistan would take up the issue at the UN Security Council, Jilani said “all options are open”.
The foreign secretary said that with democracy very well established in Pakistan, there should be no cause for concern that incidents on the LoC would affect the democratic process.
Pakistan had informed the UN military observers about the incidents on the Line of Control (LoC), adding that a UN investigation was the only mechanism to resolve the issue, reported Geo News citing Jilani as saying following his meeting with ambassadors and Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal Friday.
Jilani said while meeting Sabharwal, he stressed on India to provide assurance that such incidents did not take place in future, as such incidents did not benefit either country.
Sabharwal was served a “note verbale” after Pakistan alleged that Indian firing and shelling along the LoC killed a Pakistani soldier.
Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated in Kashmir since Jan 6 when a Pakistani solider was killed allegedly by Indian troops. Two days later, two Indian soldiers were killed and beheaded near the LoC. Indian officials blamed Pakistani troops for the brutal killing.