India/Pakistan

Pakistan moves troops to eastern border

Article published on the 2008-12-29 Latest update 2008-12-29 11:00 TU

Indian soldiers at an exhibition in Akhnoor on 27th December.
(Credit: Reuters)

An unscheduled telephone conversation between Indian and Pakistani military officials took place over the weekend in an attempt to help ease tensions between the two neighbours. Pakistan has moved troops to its border with India over the weekend.

The phone call linked up the Director General of Military Operations for each of the two nuclear-armed countries, as Pakistan said it had deployed troops in its eastern border with India and cancelled holiday leave for soldiers on duty.

No details about the discussions were revealed, but Pakistan’s redeployment of troops on its eastern border prompted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call a meeting of military chiefs to discuss strategy.

An Indian army spokesperson denied any changes to his country's military positions on its side of the border.

The US and Russia have continued to call for restraint in both Islamabad and New Delhi, but both India and Pakistan have indicated that they would act if provoked.

China, one of Pakistan’s closest allies, is also involved in efforts to soothe tensions and its Vice-Foreign Minister, He Yafei, is in Islamabad today for talks with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

The relationship between India and Pakistan has deteriorated since the Mumbai attacks in November which Delhi has blamed on a Pakistani based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba.