ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office expressed concerns on Thursday over rising tensions between Russia and Turkey over recent downing of the former’s fighter jet and urged both sides to resolve the issue peacefully.

“We are concerned over the escalation of tensions in the region and urge all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue,” Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said at the weekly media briefing while responding to a question about Pakistan’s reaction over shooting down of the Russian aircraft near the Syrian-Turkish border.

These were Pakistan’s first official comments since the incident, which took place on Tuesday.

Pakistan is a close ally of Turkey but is at the same time extremely cautious about its ties with Russia, which Islamabad is actively promoting.

Despite international calls for restraint, the war of words between the two sides has been escalating.

Mr Khalilullah said: “Pakistan is closely following the developments.”

The spokesman said Bangladesh’s high commissioner would be called to the Foreign Office. He did not say when the envoy would be called.

The uneasy relations between Islama­bad and Dhaka worsened when Pakistan reacted to the execution of two Bangladeshi politicians who had been convicted by a special tribunal for their role in the 1971 war.

In its reaction, the FO had called for reconciliation in Bangladesh in accordance with the 1974 tripartite agreement under which Bangladesh had agreed to end trial of the alleged ‘war crimes’ collaborators.

Pakistan’s envoy in Dhaka Shuja Alam was summoned to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry over the FO statement.

Mr Khalilullah said the Bangladeshi envoy would be handed a demarche containing response to the points raised by Dhaka.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2015