ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Wednesday summarily rejected India’s claim that the Pakistan Army was responsible for the killing of two Indian Army soldiers on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).

The foreign minister, while speaking to an Indian news channel, said that the Pakistani government is appalled at the suggestion that Pakistan troops were involved in the incident and stressed that her country respects the ceasefire that is in force since 2003.

“The government has already given its response. We are appalled at some of the statements coming from India,” she told the news channel, adding that the matter has left her a bit saddened.

“We want to respect the ceasefire of 2003; this is absolutely unacceptable for such allegations to be made. We have investigated the matter and we are sure that such an incident did not take place,” she added.

The foreign minister said: “We need to grow up and think. It is not Pakistan’s policy to do so (kill Indian soldiers on LoC) and that did not happen.”

She further said that Pakistan is open to any third party investigation into the matter.

She said: “We are so sure of this that we can go and ask a third party to do an investigation. UN observers can come in and probe the entire matter.”