Following Pathankot airbase attack and baseless allegations, Pakistan urged India to remain committed to a sustained dialogue process.
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Official sources said that demonstration of “international solidarity” with India was crucial at this time, when the ball was in Pakistan’s court as to whether action will be taken against the terror group behind the attack.
It quoted Sharif as saying that terrorists always tried to derail the process of peace between the two countries.
“Fortunately, it seems that this is the case after all as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called (his Indian counterpart Narendra) Modi to express his condolences and offered assistance in anyway required”, it added.
An earlier report said sounds of occasional firing could be heard from inside the base as search and combing operations by security forces continued, almost 55 hours after terrorists launched a fidayeen attack on the frontline defence facility.
It is also anticipated that a meeting of national security advisers from both sides might take place prior to that of foreign secretaries.
Significantly, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called up Modi on Tuesday and vowed “prompt and decisive action” against the terrorists behind the strike.
“Both the prime ministers showed resolve to fight out terrorism together through mutual cooperation”, the statement said.
USA further asked the other countries to work together so as to destroy all the networks of the terrorists so as to bring justice to those martyred in the Panthankot terrorist attack.
It was not clear Monday whether any surviving attackers remained inside the base but troops were still searching.
A senior External Affairs Ministry official said that a powerful explosion, which shook a double-storeyed building at the air base on Monday morning, indicated that two terrorists might have been hiding in Pathankot. “He is aware that the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan had a phone conversation today to discuss this issue”, Mr Ban’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in United Nations today.
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Elaborating on the point that terrorism is a shared challenge, Kirby said: “Pakistan too has suffered from terrorism”.
