Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has called for talks with her Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid in order to cooling down the rising tensions between the two countries while India Thursday has demanded justice first to two Indian soldiers who had been killed and mutilated on 08th January 2013 before accepting it.
Informing to Pak, Indian government according to media reports has stated that it has taken note of Khar's offer of talks at the foreign minister's level to take steps to tone down the tensions but New Delhi is still of the view that Islamabad needs to bring the soldiers involved in the murder and mutilation of two Indian Army soldiers to justice before any forward movement on talks can be considered.
Meanwhilem the new agency has quoted army sources, as saying that there was no incident of firing reported along the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday night.
As per an army spokesman's statement issued late on Wednesday night, the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan have agreed not to violate the ceasefire and exercise maximum restraint after more than 10 days of heightened border tension between the two countries.
Government sources are being quoted as saying that Pakistan appears to be trying to cool things down.
Earlier, Pak Foreign Minister who is at present in United States for her official tour Wednesday night stated that t continued tension along the LoC is not in the interest of peace and stability in South Asia. She offered to discuss the issue at the level of the foreign ministers.
"Instead of issuing belligerent statements by the military and political leaders from across the border and ratcheting up tension, it is advisable for the two countries to discuss all concerns related to Line of Control (LoC) with a view to reinforcing respect for the ceasefire, may be at the level of the Foreign Ministers to sort out things," said Khar in a late night statement.
"Continued tension along the LoC is not in the interest of peace and stability in the region," Associated Press of Pakistan quoted her as saying in a statement issued in New York.
"Pakistan and India are both important countries of South Asia. It is imperative that they demonstrate requisite responsibility for ensuring peace by addressing all concerns through dialogue," she said.
It appeared to be a climb-down on earlier "warmongering" remark against Indian leaders. On statements from Indian side, Khar had said, "We are saddened and disappointed at the continued negative statements emanating from India both from the media as well as certain Indian leaders."
Ties between the two neighbours have been strained ever since the Jan 6 killing of a Pakistani soldier allegedly in firing by Indian troops. Two days later, Pakistani soldiers brutally killed two Indian soldiers, including beheading one of them, on the LoC.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that there can be "no business as usual" with Pakistan following the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers.
Indian Army chief General Bikram Singh termed the killing of the Indian soldiers "an unpardonable act" and said his forces reserved the "right to retaliate".
--With Agencies Inputs--
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