New Delhi, Jan. 11 (ANI): Amid escalating tensions between the two Asian neighbours in the wake of the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy on Friday said that India would take up the matter with Pakistan if it violated the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
"As far as the Government of India is concerned, whatever agreement we have signed and understanding that was there on the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, it has to be honoured. If Pakistan violates, yes, we will take it up with them," said Narayanasamy.
"We will ensure that they should follow whatever agreement that has been entered into by the Government of India and Pakistan on the ceasefire issue because it is unfortunate by the killing of our jawans the relationship between India and Pakistan, which has been developing, should not be disturbed," he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shahnawaz Hussain said that discussions with Pakistan should take place only after it hands over 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed to India.
"A discussion should take place between India and Pakistan only if Pakistan hands over Hafiz Saeed. There is widespread anger within the country that Hafiz Saeed is an accused of the 26/11 Mumbai attack and who has announced Rs. 5 lakh for the head of our soldier. The friendship between India and Pakistan is of no importance unless Pakistan hands over Hafiz Saeed to India," said Hussain.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde earlier on Thursday said Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed had visited the border areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) a few days before the attack on Indian jawans by Pakistani troops.
"It has been our information just four-five days back that in PoK area Hafiz Saeed had entered and he had talks with some people," he told the media here.
Shinde further ruled out putting the new relaxed visa regime between the two Asian neighbours on hold.
"We are not rethinking. Whatever has entered into an agreement, it will be carried," he said.
Pakistan has vehemently denied India's claims that it violated the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Hina Rabbani Khar yesterday lashed out at the Indian media for taking up the issue of mutilation of bodies of Indian soldiers, and rejected the charges of ceasefire violation along the Line of Control.
Khar yesterday said that the Pakistani Government will continue to build ties with India.
"Pakistan Government and the Pakistani people have demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to normalize and improve relations with India and to really start a journey of trust-building. And I think in the last four years of this government we have seen walking the talk on giving India very pragmatic, specific messages, for instance through trade normalization, visa liberalization etc.," Khar told a news conference in Islamabad.
Khar said Pakistan was 'unpleasantly surprised' by the Indian reaction.
"Let me just say that unfortunately as I was reading a Reuters report last evening, there were contradictory statements coming in. You know, there northern army commander was saying there was no decapitation, there was no beheading. Some very responsible sources were saying there was. Yes, unfortunately very strong statements. But I think what you saw yesterday was I believe a sense of trying to de-escalate on their side also, from those statements, and I think that is the right way to go," she said.
Pakistan, which summoned Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal in Islamabad today to protest against the death of a Pakistani soldier last evening in alleged firing by Indian troops in Kashmir, has also suspended cross-border trade and a bus service between the Poonch sector in India and Rawalakot on its side of the Line of Control.
India had earlier on Wednesday summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, Salman Bashir, at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) office in connection with the brutal killing of the two Indian jawans.
Lance Naik Hemraj and Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh were the two Indian soldiers killed brutally by the Pakistani troops. (ANI)
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