FO decries Indian army chief’s statements

Published January 16, 2014
Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam. — File photo
Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam. — File photo

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office on Thursday said the recent statement issued by Indian army chief General Bikram Singh was unfortunate and provocative, DawnNews reported.

Addressing the weekly media briefing, FO spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam added that such remarks could lead to deterioration of ties between the two countries.

Earlier this week, General Singh was quoted by Indian media as saying that India was not bound to follow the rules if Pakistan was up to breaking them.

“If rules are followed by our neighbours, we follow them too. If rules are broken, we won’t sit on it, we will break them too,” General Singh had said warning Pakistan against ceasefire violations.

Aslam today told reporters that Pakistan was doing its utmost to establish peace along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border diving Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

She moreover said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz had left for Morocco where he would be participating in the meeting of the Al Quds committee.

She added that Pakistan's position on Palestine was clear, adding that at the meeting in Morocco, Pakistan would speak in favour of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Aslam said Pakistan was against Israel's continued construction of illegal settlements in occupied territories and added that Jerusalem should be liberated from Israeli occupation.

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