ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif has said that India wants to engage Pakistan in a “low-intensity war”, expressing confidence that Pakistan is capable of replying to any aggression.

“It seems that India does not understand the language of love and peace,” the defence minister told reporters outside the Parliament House after conclusion of the National Assembly session on Saturday.

Mr Asif said the premier had expressed the desire for having peace with India and all other neighbouring countries with sincerity, but India had not reciprocated Islamabad’s goodwill gesture.

“India wants to keep us busy in a low-intensity war or low-intensity engagement on our eastern border. They are pursuing the same tactics of keeping our forces busy on all fronts and the anti-Pakistan mentality of the Indian leadership is now fully exposed,” he added.

Commenting on relentless shelling by India troops along the Working Boundary for the past few days, the defence minister said it seemed that India did not want to see Pakistan’s success in its fight against terrorism. In fact, he added, the Indian aggression at this time proved that it was supporting terrorists.

Mr Asif said India had started cross-border shelling to engage Pakistan’s armed forces on the eastern front at a time when it was busy in the fight against terrorists inside the country and on the western border. “It seems that India does not want to see a durable peace in Pakistan, Afghanistan and in the region,” he said.

The defence minister said Islamabad had raised the issue of the killing of two personnel of Chenab Rangers and civilians with India at all appropriate forums.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play