Pakistan calls Indian envoy, protests killing of army captain

ISLAMABAD (AA) – Pakistan's Foreign Office on Wednesday summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner in Islamabad to register its "strong protest" over what it described as the "unprovoked" shooting by Indian soldiers of the Shaqma sector, Kargil, which led to the death of a Pakistani army captain and a soldier.

"Pakistan has conveyed its serious concern over the continued violations of the ceasefire across the Line of Control (LoC) by the Indian Army over the past few weeks and the escalation of tensions, which is counterproductive and detrimental for stability and peace in the region," Foreign Office spokesperson Aizaz Chaudry told the Anadolu Agency.

The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan's commitment to constructive, sustained and result-oriented engagement, urging India to take serious and credible steps to reduce tensions and prevent further ceasefire violations.

A fresh wave of tension between the two arch nuclear rivals was triggered over a week ago by the killing of five Indian soldiers.

New Delhi had accused Pakistani soldiers of crossing into Indian territory near the border with the disputed Kashmir region and killing its soldiers.

Pakistan, for its part, denied the charge.

A proposed meeting between newly-elected Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of a September UN General Assembly meeting appeared to be the first casualty of the mounting tension.

India has also reportedly refused to resume suspended peace talks between the two South Asian rivals.

Talks were called off in January following an artillery duel over the disputed border in which an Indian soldier was decapitated.

The two countries have fought three full-fledged wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- since their partition in 1947.

Two of the three wars -- those of 1948 and 1965  were fought over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, a Muslim-majority territory claimed by both nations.

India blames Pakistan for supporting "infiltrators" in the Indian-administered part of Kashmir, while Pakistan sees them as "freedom fighters" and insists it offers only moral support to the freedom movement in "Indian-occupied Kashmir."