‘Too early’ to normalise relations with Pakistan: India

Cross-border tensions on the Line of Control (LoC) have eased after talks between India and Pakistan, but it is “too early” for India to normalise relations with its western neighbour, Indian Defence Minister AK Anthony was quoted by the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Wednesday. According to the report, Anthony said that infiltration attempts from Pakistan into India are continuing despite extreme weather. “If this is the case now, what will be the position (of infiltration) in summers?” he was quoted as saying. He added, “We have to cross our fingers and after the tragic and inhuman incident, even though Pakistan has assured us certain things, we have to see how this assurance translates into action.” The minister also said that India should wait and watch and “assess the ground situation,” and assured that no hasty decision will be taken regarding a future course of action. Tensions between India and Pakistan were heightened earlier this month after a series of cross-border exchanges in the disputed Kashmir region where in which five soldiers were killed on both sides. India claims that one of its soldiers was beheaded.
Firing and small skirmishes are common along the 740km LoC despite a ceasefire that was agreed in 2003. The Indian army says eight of its soldiers were killed in 2012, in 75 incidents of ceasefire violations.