Pakistan today warned India that it is fully capable of responding "befittingly" to any aggression against it and that it must act in a responsible manner in the wake of escalating tension on the border.
Defence Minister Khwaja Asif's statement came hours after his Indian counterpart Arun Jaitley declared that Pakistan will not be able to bear the cost of its "adventurism" if it persists with such "unprovoked" ceasefire violations.
Asif said Pakistan was capable of responding to any Indian aggression but did not want to convert border tension between the two nuclear neighbours into a confrontation.
"We don't want to convert border tension between two nuclear neighbours into confrontation," he said.
He also said that Pakistan was "fully capable to respond befittingly to any Indian aggression" and India must act in a responsible manner. "India must demonstrate caution and behave with responsibility," the Dawn quoted him as saying.
Earlier in New Delhi, in the strongest warning yet over unabated ceasefire violations from across the border, Jaitley said, "Pakistan in these attacks has clearly been the aggressor but it must realise that our deterrence will be credible. If Pakistan persists with this adventurism, our forces will make the cost of this adventurism unfordable."
If Pakistan wants peace on the borders, Jaitley said, it should stop what it is doing. "Pakistan has to stop this unprovoked firing and shelling. As long as that continues how can there be peace," he said.
India and Pakistan have been trading heavy mortar and gun fire along the international border and LoC since October 1.
While eight people died and 80 others, including nine security men, were injured in the firing by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan claims that its 11 nationals have been killed so far.
"So far 11 people, including three women and one child have been killed and 73 people injured," defence sources in Pakistan said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called a meeting of the National Security Committee tomorrow to discuss with top military and civilian leaders the current situation.
