Pakistan, India NSAs agree to reduce tension along LoC: Sartaj Aziz

Pakistan is seething. The Indian Army’s raid has again exposed the Pakistan Army’s incompetence and duplicity of supporting terrorists, much akin to what happened after American special forces killed Osama bin Laden at Abbottabad.

It was not possible to verify the general’s claims, though villagers who spoke with a second AFP reporter in the area independent of the military-guided trip were also incredulous.

The PML-N leaders discussed strategy for the crucial meeting.

Toner: Well, I think I just attempted to speak to that concern about some of the rhetoric, as I said, we’ve seen coming out of Pakistan, regarding its nuclear weapons or – with regard to – I haven’t seen her remarks, honestly.

Abdul Basit further said that it is important to avoid drawing wrong conclusions and raising false expectations because it is not in our mutual interest. India’s permanent representative at the UN, Syed Akbaruddin said that the facts on the ground do not change whether somebody has “observed” it or not. He said we need to denounce and highlight the brutal state oppression in IOK at political and diplomatic level.

Pakistan has said that no such strikes were carried out and focussed on the Kashmir issue, describing it as an “unfinished agenda of Partition”. However, Afghanistan on Friday backed India on the surgical strikes, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking “bold decisions” in the fight against terrorism. Shah Mehmoud Qureshi said that the oppressed Kashmiri people have stood up against the Indian atrocities.

Pakistan has violated ceasefire several times by firing on Indian army posts along LoC in Akhnoor sector in Jammu district. A united Pakistan can counter Indian aggression. “A united Pakistan can counter Indian aggression and by working together we can achieve our national security goals”. Despite all the calls to peace during the past several weeks and Pakistan’s attempts to raise the option of resolving the Kashmir issue through dialogue rather than yet another conflict, there does not appear to be any similar response from India.

Following Thursday morning’s strikes, the U.S. has publicly signalled that it supports India’s counter-terrorism initiatives in South Asia and holds Pakistan principally responsible for allowing terror groups that target its neighbours to operate from its soil.

But by withholding the mother’s visa application, New Delhi has emphasised to Islamabad that it can calibrate its tactics based on Pakistan’s response.