8 people have been killed in cross-border firing.
As firing by Pakistani troops along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir registered a sharp decline, Islamabad said on Friday, "War is not an option." On Thursday, India had warned Pakistan that it would pay an "unaffordable price for its adventurism".
After a meeting that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held with top ministers and his country's military chiefs, his office said in a statement that they had, "stressed the fact that both countries are aware of each other's capabilities. War is not an option. It is shared responsibility of the leadership of both countries to immediately diffuse the situation."
The statement said Mr Sharif's participation in PM Modi's oath ceremony earlier this year was "a manifestation of Pakistan's sincere desire to constructively engage India to establish durable peace in the region."
India, sources said earlier on Friday, will wait and watch before initiating any move to talk or even respond to any possible overtures from Pakistan.
About 20,000 people have been displaced in Pakistan and many of their posts have been destroyed by the robust Indian response to the firing from across the border, sources said. The intensity of firing is expected to subside further, they said, with the message going out to Pakistan that India will not back down despite death and damage on its side.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra, PM Modi said, "Pakistan will not dare to repeat it again. Our jawans have shut their mouth... I assure you, the government of India will act promptly to provide adequate compensation to those who had to leave their homes due to shelling and migrate elsewhere."
Eight people have been killed and over 60 injured in heavy firing and shelling by Pakistani troops this week, in the worst violence at the border in a decade. The attack on Thursday night was comparatively muted, with Pakistani troops attacking four Indian outposts. Sources in the Border Security Force said it was too early to call it a "de-escalation".
Sources also said there is no decision on resuming flag meetings at the border. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in an interview to NDTV that these meetings were necessary to defuse tension and bring the 2003 ceasefire between the two countries back on track.
Most villages along the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts have been deserted since the shelling started on October 6. Thousands of villagers have fled their homes.
On Thursday, India had warned Pakistan that it is not afraid of escalating fire and the forces have been given a free hand to deal with the situation. "If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unaffordable for it," said Defence Minister Arun Jaitley.
India has accused Pakistan of firing to distract its forces and help militants infiltrate into Kashmir. Indian Army sources told NDTV they believe nearly 700 militants are waiting to cross into the Kashmir Valley from across the border.
Post a comment