Indian FM: crisis with Pakistan over LoC skirmishes to pass

Indian foreign minister has expressed his belief that the current crisis of relations with Pakistan will pass as the two countries have enough arrangements in place to counter the issues like border skirmishes, local press reported Sunday. In an interview with The Hindu newspaper, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid admitted that following recent skirmishes along the Line-of-Control (LoC) in Kashmir with Pakistan, "there has been escalation in the past 24 hours." "The news is not good. It is distinctly bad -- there's been some disquiet about ceasefire violations and the steps that Pakistan has taken including ceasing border trade in one place,"he said. India and Pakistan have accused each other of violating ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir since last Sunday. Two Indian soldiers and two Pakistani soldiers have been killed in skirmishes over the past week on the LoC. While some Indian military leaders have hinted at tougher response to Pakistan, the foreign minister sounded a reconciling tone: "We think this will pass. We think that we have enough arrangements in place between the Pakistanis and ourselves to counter these issues." "But our main and burning concern is what happened to our men. The mutilation and beheading that took place is tragic, unfortunate, inhuman, and we think there should be some clarity, some truth that must be brought out. Even if you have to think of reconciliation, it must come after the truth is brought out. That is important, and we haven't heard anything very helpful as far as that is concerned,"he said. India said one of its soldiers killed at LoC was beheaded and his body mutilated.