Pak welcomes Putin's mediation offer to ease tensions with India

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 15 (ANI): Pakistan has welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin's reported offer to ease the ongoing tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. Although, Russia has not confirmed about it. The Dawn quoted Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria as saying during a weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday that the country had recently established high-level contact with Russia and Islamabad welcome Putin's offer to mediate between India and Pakistan. According to unverified reports in Pakistan media, Russian President Putin during his meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the recently-held Belt and Road Forum reportedly offered to help mediate tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi. Tensions have been running high between the two Asian neighbours amid spree of ceasefire violations and cross-border infiltration from Pakistan side. Relations between India and Pakistan worsened after several terror attacks including one on an Indian military base in Uri and also on an Indian air force base in Pathankot. The situation between both nations further deteriorated after a Pakistan military court announced a death sentence to former Indian Naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. Relations between the two nations have been particularly worsened after the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistan based terrorists.(ANI)