After Indian aggression, EU MP admits Pakistan’s right to respond but advises restraint

Sajjad Karim terms Indian violation 'deeply unwelcome'

BRUSSELS:

A European Union (EU) parliamentarian from the United Kingdom says that although Pakistan has a right to respond after Indian warplanes violated its airspace, both the neighbours should exercise restraint.

“Of course Pakistan has an absolute right to do that but we [EU] remain committed to provide whatever support we can to ensure that both sides can roll back from the point they currently are,” Sajjad Karim told The Express Tribune.

His remarks came after a meeting with a Pakistani delegation led by Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor in Brussels on Tuesday.



Karim said the incursion that took place from New Delhi was "deeply unwelcome".

The Indian Air Force violated Pakistani airspace near the Line of Control Tuesday morning, but were chased away by Pakistan Air Force jets, which were immediately scrambled to thwart any aggressive move by the country’s eastern neighbour.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said its warplanes attacked a camp in Balakot, and a “very large number” of militants from the Jaish-e-Mohammad group were killed in the nighttime attack.

But both the Pakistan Army and the government rubbished Indian claims of the attack on Pakistani soil.

The escalation triggered international alarm, with China calling for the arch-rivals to show "restraint".

Karim is a British politician who was first elected to the European Parliament in 2004. He was re-elected in June 2009 and in 2014.