India on Thursday slammed Pakistan for holding assembly elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and said it was nothing but an "attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation". New Delhi also lodged a strong protest Islamabad over the issue.
As per Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Affairs Dean Thompson, Blinken would be discussing different options for what he called a "negotiated settlement" in Afghanistan.
Relations between India and Pakistan nose-dived after New Delhi abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated it into two Union territories.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi asked Pakistan to focus on setting its own house in order in containing terror networks and said that the international community is well aware of that country's credentials when it comes to terrorism.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that "entire Pakistan stands by their Kashmiri brothers and sisters".
India on Thursday said it desires normal relations with Pakistan and it was for that country to create a conducive atmosphere by taking "credible, verifiable and irreversible" action against cross-border terrorism.
Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane would be in Srinagar on a two-day visit starting Wednesday to review the situation on ground along the border and the counter-terrorist operations in the valley.
Pakistan has categorically rejected an allegation levelled by India, accusing Islamabad of cross-border infiltration.
The militaries of India and Pakistan, in a surprise announcement on February 25, said that they had agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.
Violating the ceasefire agreement between both nations, Pakistani Rangers on Monday open fired along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district. A senior BSF officer informed of the incident.
"I wouldn't want to comment on that specifically," State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will preside over an important meeting on Friday attended by several cabinet ministers which will decide the level of relations with India.
China said on Monday that it was "happy" over the recent "active interactions" between Pakistan and India, indicating that it would like to work with Islamabad to inject "more positive energy" into regional peace, stability and development.
Reacting to Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s remarks that it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past and move forward", Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said he should back his rhetoric on peace with solid action.
India last month said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said India will be benefitted economically by having peace with his country as it will be able to directly access resource-rich Central Asia through it.
The White House on Thursday had said the move is a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia.
As the Indian and Pakistani armies agreed to strictly observe all their ceasefire agreements, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan and is committed to resolving all issues bilaterally in a peaceful manner.
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution on 'Promoting a culture of peace and tolerance to safeguard religious sites.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday detected a tunnel beneath the International Border in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.
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