Ahead of Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's Visit, Pak Army Chief's Provocative Statement

Pakistan's powerful Army Chief General Raheel Sharif has warned India of a "befitting response to provocation" along the Line of Control (LoC), just days before Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar's visit to Islamabad.

"Let there be no doubt that any provocation along LoC and Working Boundary will meet a befitting response," a statement by the Pakistan army quoted General Sharif as saying on Thursday.

"Repeated Indian ceasefire violations on the Working Boundary and the LoC in recent past were a distraction for Pakistan from campaign versus terrorism and it affects regional stability," the statement said.

Military spokesman Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa said that the army chief made the comments while visiting areas affected by cross border firing near Sialkot and met troops and residents.
Pakistan and India have traded heavy fire in the area in recent months.

Mr Jaishankar will travel to Islamabad on March 3 for a two-day visit, seven months after India canceled foreign secretary-level talks over the Pakistani envoy's consultations with Kashmiri separatists.