Won't attend Heart of Asia Conference, no talks with Pak for now: India

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will not attend the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar on December 3 and 4.

MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup disclosed the information in this regard.

He also brushed aside the possibility of bilateral talks with Pakistan while stating that talks and terror can't go together.

"It is incumbent on Pakistan to create the necessary environment for a conducive bilateral dialogue to happen," said Swarup.

Amid rising tensions along the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz will be attending the Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar.

The conference to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will witness the participation of over 40 countries.

The thrust of the meet is to discuss the future of Afghanistan in which both India and Pakistan are invested.

Aziz would be the first senior Pakistani official to visit India since the September 10 Uri attack, blamed on Pakistan-based militants, which led India to pull out of the SAARC Summit in Pakistan in November.

India has also lodged strong protest with Pakistan against repeated ceasefire violations and deliberate targeting of villages along the Line of Control (LoC) by the Pakistan Army, and deplored continued attempts to infiltrate armed terrorists to target Indian posts and patrols, said Swarup.

Swarup said the MEA called in Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah the last evening and issued a demarche, the fourth one this month, on the continued violation of ceasefire from the other side of the LoC..

"The Government of India stated that despite calls for restraints, Pakistani forces committed 27 ceasefire violations between November 16 and 21 by resorting to calibre escalation and employing artillery and 120mm heavy mortars against Indian posts. These violent acts constitute a clear violation of the ceasefire Agreement of 2003.

"The government conveyed that it strongly deplore the passive support of the Pakistan Army to armed terrorists that came from close to Pakistan Army posts from November 22, targeting an Indian patrol near the LoC in Machhal sector and killing three Indian soldiers, including inhuman mutilation of the body of one of them."

 

Swarup further said the govt also protested the deliberate targeting by the Pakistan Army of the 18 villages along LoC during the period November 16-21, which has resulted in a non-fatal casualty, besides causing extensive damage to public and private property and displacement of the civilian population

"The government conveyed its grave concerns at the continued attempts to infiltrate armed terrorists from across LoC to target Indian posts and patrols. During the last week alone, there have been 15 instances, where terrorists indulged in various actions from the vicinity of Pakistani Army posts from across the LoC," he added.

Talking about Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan, the MEA spokesperson said, "The government also reiterated its concerns about the safety and wellbeing of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan, who inadvertently crossed over LoC over seven weeks ago. We expect the earlier repatriation and safe return of Sepoy Chandu Babulal Chavan back to India."