No scope for 3rd party role in tackling tension at LoC: India

New Delhi: Amidst repeated attempts by Pakistan to internationalise recent tension at the Line of Control, India on Tuesday made it clear that the issue has to be dealt with bilaterally and there was no scope of any third party involvement. "We did hear some statements about giving access to third parties in this affair. I think we have moved away from that," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters in New Delhi.

He said there has been a "clear reaffirmation" of the bilateral process. "I think that the contacts between the DGMOs of both sides have indicated that the bilateral process remains in a sustained and steady manner," he said. Khurshid added "we haven't heard anything more about statements that obviously are not acceptable to us. We do reiterate our position that these are bilateral issues and they should be settled bilaterally.

"We have a history of being able to work bilaterally and would want to maintain that. We need to contain this in bilateral purview". India and Pakistan had yesterday clashed at the Security Council over the relevance of the UN Military Observer Group on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir with New Delhi saying it has been "overtaken" by the 1971 Shimla Accord while Islamabad insisting the force still had a role.

India made it clear that the issue has to be dealt with bilaterally and there was no scope of any third party involvement.

Tensions had erupted between India and Pakistan over firing and clashes earlier this month at the LoC in which Pakistani troops killed two Indian soldiers. Pakistan had complained to the UN observer force claiming that Indian troops had allegedly crossed the LoC and "raided" a order post.

UNMOGIP had said it would conduct an investigation in accordance with its mandate. India had outrightly rejected Pakistan's proposal for a UN investigation into the LoC incident saying New Delhi would not "internationalise the issue or allow the United Nations to hold an inquiry".

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