Pakistan ready to give befitting reply to Indian aggression, says Maleeha Lodhi

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Pakistan's Ambassador to United Nations Maleeha Lodhi has on Friday warned India that Pakistan is ready to give a befitting reply to Indian aggression. In her interview with a gulf TV channel she rejected the Indian claims saying, “There has been no surgical strike by India, instead there had been cross-border fire initiated and conducted by Indian forces which is an existential phenomenon”. The ambassador said that Pakistan is showing maximum restraint but there are limits to our restraint if India continues with provocations. Maleeha Lodhi said that there had already been "ominous signs of unusual movement" along the border with movements of troops and tanks and credible reports of Indian evacuations of some areas. “We have captured an Indian soldier who was trying to cross the border into Pakistan, while two Pakistani soldiers have been martyred cross-border shelling,” she added. “The issue will be raised in front of the senior officials of the United Nations.” Earlier, Indian Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant-General Ranbir Singh claimed that the Indian army conducted surgical strikes on the Line of Control (LoC) inflicting significant damage across the border. Addressing a press conference, Indian DGMO Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said that Pakistan had been informed about the strikes and that India has no intention of continuing the operations but is ready for any reaction from the Pakistan. The announcement of the strikes came after a meeting of the Indian cabinet committee on Security led by PM Modi. Tension between the nuclear arch rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on innocent Kashmiris following the killing by security forces of Burhan Wani, in July. The incident comes a day after Pakistan said India will “disintegrate” when Kashmir gains independence. India is trying to isolate Pakistan diplomatically after a recent militant attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 18 Indian soldiers. New Delhi blames a Pakistan-based militant group for the attack. Pakistan denies that.