India summons Pakistani envoy over Uri attack

The Modi-government offers to cooperate if Islamabad is willing to investigate the attack

Days after militants killed 17 Indian army soldiers in the Uri sector area near the Line of Control (LoC) in disputed Kashmir, India summoned on Wednesday Pakistani High Commissioner to Delhi Abdul Basit to express concerns over the attack.

#UriAttack Foreign Secretary Jaishankar summons Pakistan High Commissioner Basit to MEA

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 21, 2016

“It was reminded that Government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 to not allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India," Spokesperson Indian Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup said in a statement.

“We demand that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment to refrain from supporting and sponsoring terrorism against India."

We demand that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment to refrain from supporting & sponsoring terrorism against India #UriAttack pic.twitter.com/fytV5fcgl2

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 21, 2016

The assault, in which four commando-style gunmen burst into the brigade headquarters in Uri at 5:30 am (midnight GMT) on September 18, was among the deadliest in held Kashmir and has sharply ratcheted up tension between the nuclear-armed rivals.



India offered to cooperate with Pakistan over the attack's investigation. “If the Government of Pakistan wishes to investigate these cross-border attacks, India is ready to provide finger prints and DNA samples of terrorists killed in Uri and Poonch incidents,” the MEA statement said. “We now expect a response from the Government of Pakistan,” it added.

The two neighbours have been at odds since July 8 when a populist Kashmiri rebel leader Burhan Muzaffar Wani was killed by Indian forces.

At least 100 demonstrators have so far been killed due to the occupied military's indiscriminate use of force against Kashmiri masses.