File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kathmandu

Pakistan responded swiftly Wednesday to a tough speech by India's new prime minister, Narendra Modi, that accused Pakistan of conducting a "proxy war" against India. Pakistan called Modi's remarks "unfortunate" and said it sought good relations with its neighbor.During a visit Tuesday to the town of Kargil in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir, Modi said Pakistan "has lost the strength to fight a conventional war, but continues to engage in the proxy war through terrorism." Kargil, which is near the disputed Indian-Pakistani border known as the Line of Control, was the site of a 1999 conflict between the two countries.

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Modi's remarks reflected a toughening of his conciliatory initial approach toward Pakistan, which included inviting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to his swearing-in in May. Since then, however, cease-fire violations on the Line of Control have become more frequent.In a statement Wednesday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Modi's remarks were "most unfortunate, especially as the leadership of Pakistan wishes to establish good neighborly relations with India." The statement also said that Pakistan was the "biggest victim" of terrorism, which it said had claimed 55,000 of its citizens' lives.