Pakistani, Indian military officers to meet

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani and Indian military officers will meet soon to explore options to lessen border tensions in the disputed Kashmir region, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

Tensions recently escalated along the Line of Control (LoC) which divides the two countries in the Kashmir region, following exchange of fire between their troops.

The two countries accused each other of violation of ceasefire along the LoC.

Prime ministers of the two countries met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sunday. They agreed to take immediate steps to stabilize the situation on the Line of Control, said Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry.

He said the meeting of the Director General Military Operations was decided in their talks in New York.

"Immediate takeaway of the meeting was the agreement that both Director General Military Operations will meet soon to discuss ways to avoid escalation," he said.

He said the two prime ministers discussed a wide range of issues, including Kashmir, water, terrorism and the determination of maritime boundaries.

The spokesman said Pakistan has a clear stance on the Kashmir dispute and "we believe it must be resolved according to the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and United Nations resolutions. "

Talking about Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's trip to New York, the spokesman said the prime minister had met with eighteen prime ministers and heads of state during the visit.

A good beginning has been made on the issue of the U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan as an international public opinion against it has started developing, he said.