'Pakistan seeks to pursue dialogue, restraint with India'

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it would pursue a policy of restraint, responsibility and dialogue with India for the larger interest of peace in the region and urged the neighbouring country to reciprocate its approach. The statement came amid the current escalation of tension along the Line of Control (LoC), which have caused casualties to troops of both countries, Xinhua reported. [caption id=“attachment_1053469” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption] Both countries have accused each other of violating the 2003 ceasefire. Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Thursday urged India to stop “ceasefire violations and other provocations”. Speaking at his weekly news briefing in Islamabad, the spokesman voiced concerns over Wednesday’s violation by India along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir in which one Pakistani army officer was killed and another wounded. Pakistan Wednesday summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner and registered Pakistan’s protest and concern over the incident. “Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be construed as its weakness and I made it clear that the country’s people and institutions are capable to defend its territory and interests. Our peace overtures are essentially in the interest of the region and the two countries,” Chaudhry said. The spokesman added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also offered to further strengthen the channels of communications to remove the existing trust deficit. Chaudhry said that Pakistan has adopted a constructive and positive approach and hoped all channels of communication would be optimally utilised for the purpose of peace. IANS