Sharif consults Army Chief ahead of United Nations address

An official from the Prime Minister’s Office said the two on Tuesday night discussed the situation in Kashmir and tense relations with India after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri on Sunday in which 18 soldiers were killed. Sharif had a plan to forcefully highlight the Kashmir violence, but the scenario changed after Uri terrorist attack which spotlighted the issue of cross-border militancy. “The Prime Minister might strike a balance in his speech. He would talk about the Indian atrocities in Kashmir but also would be conciliatory to end tension,” said the official. 

Sharif may also offer proposals to address the Kashmir issue, including emphasis on implementing UN resolutions and the mediatory role of the international community. No statement was issued after the talks between the two Sharifs, which was their first contact since the Uri attack. Geo TV reported that the conversation between the two leaders shows that the situation after Uri attack was serious. Four militants involved in the terror strike were killed. India’s DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh has said the four killed were foreign terrorists and had carried with them items which had Pakistani markings and that initial reports indicated that they belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-E-Mohammed group.

A military official has dismissed as ‘propaganda’ the Indian claims of ceasefire violation by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) and having foiled an infiltration bid. “There was no activity on the LoC on Tuesday. Indian claims are absolutely baseless,” a report in daily Dawn quoted the official as saying. “Pakistani officials say Indians want to distract the world from the situation in Jammu and Kashmir by indulging in such tactics,” the newspaper report said on Wednesday. “It was instead India which engaged in such violations,” an official made counter allegation in the report.