Nepal urges dialogue between India and Pakistan

By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ANKARA (AA) - Nepal on Wednesday called on Pakistan and India to exercise dialogue and peaceful means to deescalate tensions.

"As the current Chair of SAARC [South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation], Nepal, while underlining the importance of peace and stability in South Asia, calls on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and not engage in actions that would threaten peace and security in the region," said the country’s foreign ministry.

Tensions have increased between India and Pakistan after 44 Indian troopers were killed in a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on Feb 14.

On Tuesday, India claimed its warplanes entered Pakistani airspace and bombed a "militant camp," while Islamabad said it shot down two Indian air force jets and arrested two pilots early on Wednesday.

The Nepalese foreign ministry statement said the two countries should seek to resolve the crisis and "normalize the situation".

Earlier, the U.S., China and Russia urged India and Pakistan to halt escalating tensions and seek dialogue.

The SAARC is a South Asian bloc of eight countries and was formed in Dhaka in 1984. Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Srilanka, Bhutan and the Maldives are members as well as India, Pakistan and Nepal.