LoC provocations will damage peace situation: Pakistan

Islamabad: Pakistan’s military on Wednesday said that alleged ‘Indian provocations’ along Line of Control and Working Boundary will have negative implications for the region. Addressing a news conference here, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said the situation was not very different from the previous year and ‘948 ceasefire violations’ had so far been recorded in first three months.

He said India should know that any ‘provocative acts along the LoC’ will further deteriorate peace situation between Pakistan and India. The DG ISPR said Pakistan was a peaceful country but “our desire for peace should not be construed as our weakness.”  He urged India to end targeting civilian population along LoC and Working Boundary.

On Pak-US relations, major general Asif Ghafoor said Pakistan had played a key role in war against terrorism and to bring peace and stability in the region.

He said situation in region became complex in the aftermath of a tweet earlier this year by US President Donald Trump against Pakistan.

However, the US must recognize the historic positive role played by Pakistan in facilitating rapprochement between the US and China in 1970s, helping the US in becoming unipolar power and assisting Washington in gaining its objectives in Afghanistan.

General Ghafoor said India should also be thankful to Pakistan that it acted as a buffer state between unstable Afghanistan and India otherwise India would also have been affected by the scourge of terrorism.

However, he said, if India continued its efforts to destabilize Pakistan by using the land of Afghanistan, it will serve no good for the region. He said there is also a need that all countries of the region and beyond work with Pakistan to eradicate the menace of terrorism. On internal security situation, he said Operation Raddul Fasaad (elimination of discord) continues across Pakistan and so far 26 major operations and 23318 Intelligence Based Operations (IBOs) had been carried out during which over 23000 weapons recovered.

He said security situation in Balochistan had improved to a great extent and peace has returned to the province. He said army has deployed more troops in the areas where economic projects are in progress.

The General said civilian government has a lead role in socio-economic development of Balochistan while security forces are assisting the provincial government.

Highlighting the problems of electricity, water and communication infrastructure in Balochistan, he said efforts are being to provide these facilities.