Pakistani PM Seeks To Ease Tensions With India

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that existing military channels could be more "optimally utilized" to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says it is "imperative" for both India and Pakistan to shore up a 10-year-old cease-fire on their de facto border in Kashmir.

Sharif's comments came shortly after the Indian government for the first time directly accused Pakistan's army of involvement in an ambush that killed five Indian soldiers in the disputed Himalayan territory on August 5.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, but is claimed by both.

Sharif said on August 8 that existing military channels could be more "optimally utilized" to prevent the situation from escalating further.

He said leaders on both sides need to engage "constructively" to build trust and confidence, and said he was looking forward to meeting his Indian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.

Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters