Islamabad: Pakistan said on Friday it will not accept any political, military and strategic hegemony of any country in the region, as border tensions with India clouded relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The National Security Committee (NSC), made up of civilian and military leaders, made the declaration after a session presided over by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended among others by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff and chiefs of army, navy and air force.

Briefing the media about the meeting, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, however, stressed that Pakistan wants to resolve all the issues with India in an environment of peace and dialogue.

The interior minister said 13 Pakistani civilians were killed in “unprovoked” firing and shelling by Indian troops this month across the Kashmir Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary near the eastern city of Sialkot.

Prime Minister Sharif said at the NSC meeting that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be misunderstood and called upon India to cease hostile actions.

The interior minister said while desiring a peaceful resolution of problems through talks, Pakistan and its forces were fully capable of give a befitting response to any aggression.

Nisar Khan pointed out that the ceasefire violations followed India’s unilateral cancellation of August 25 foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan.

Pakistan has called upon India to allow UN Military Observer Group (UNMOG) to visit the LoC to investigate recent ceasefire violations.

Separately, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam told a weekly media briefing that Pakistan took the UN military observers to its side of the LoC and Working Boundary a few days ago to show them the damage and pattern of fire carried out by the Indian side.

The observers have to compile a report and send it to the UN, the spokesperson said, adding that the best option for India is to allow the observers to visit its side to assess the situation.

Aslam said Pakistan neither started the violations of the ceasefire nor did it escalate the situation.

“Our response has been strong but measured due to presence of Kashmiris on other side of the LoC. We are exercising great care to avoid civilian casualties to the extent possible and fire is returned from where it comes,” she said.

She said the international community is also watching and expressing concerns over the situation on the LoC and emphasising the need for resumption of talks between the two countries.

“Pakistan has made every possible effort to resume the dialogue process with India,” she said.