The Foreign Office on Friday said India is sabotaging efforts to normalise relations with Pakistan by 'using flimsiest of reasons to avoid talks', Radio Pakistan reported.

In an interview with the Press Trust of India, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria urged New Delhi to 'show seriousness' towards resolving the Kashmir issue.

Zakaria said India has tried everything to sabotage all goodwill gestures Pakistan has ever made towards normalising relations between the two countries.

Referring to the trajectory of Indo-Pak relations in recent times, Zakaria said the trajectory has been on a downward slope.

"India has tried to do everything to sabotage every goodwill gesture that we made towards normalising relations," said the FO spokesperson.

He added that Sushma Swaraj, during her visit to Pakistan during the Heart of Asia Conference in 2016, had said that the peace process would continue and no incident would be able to derail the talks.

"Then the Pathankot attack happened and since then India has been using it as a pretext to run away from the talks. Though, they have no proof against Pakistan."

When asked why the two countries could not resume talks in 2016, Zakaria said that "every time there is a prospect for talks, India comes up with a new excuse".

"They want to suppress the Kashmiris and use the Pakistan card and border tension to hide their crimes against humanity in Indian-occupied Kashmir and also for playing domestic politics," said Zakaria.

'LoC calm was termporary'

Zakaria, while talking about the situation on the Line of Control, said that the calm on the LoC was temporary.

"It was due to the international pressure after the UN, US and several other countries urged for lowering tension. India stopped fire for a few days and again they have violated the LoC recently."

"As regards to adviser Sartaj Aziz’s visit, he went there for two reasons: first we want to show commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan; second, we thought that India would avail the opportunity and reciprocate the gesture. But again they played a malicious game," elaborated the spokesperson while referring to Aziz's recent visit.

He added that India, during the visit, violated all norms of protocol and decency.

When asked whether there is a chance for better bilateral ties between the two countries, Zakari said it depends on India's attitude and conduct.

He clarified that ending the bloodshed in the disputed valley of Kashmir is not a precondition for talks, rather it is an issue of human lives and rights.

Answering whether Pakistan is ready to address Indian concerns on cross border terrorism to help revive the talks, Zakaria said, "India makes every effort to mislead the world. In fact India itself is involved in terrorism in Pakistan and India-occupied Kashmir".

Rising tensions

Earlier in September, in one of the worst episodes of cross-border firing along the LoC, at least two Pakistan Army soldiers were killed as Indian troops opened fire on the first line of defence.

India also claimed to have performed a "surgical strike" by crossing the disputed boundary. The Indian claims were rubbished by Pakistan Army.

It later emerged that an Indian soldier was captured by the Pakistan army, while Indian soldiers were also killed in the episode of firing across the LoC.

The latest incidents of cross-border firing came as tensions simmer between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir issue.

India has also initiated a diplomatic drive to isolate Pakistan after blaming it for the Sept 18 attack on the Uri army camp in IHK which killed 18 soldiers ─ a claim which Pakistan has rejected.

Temperature between the South Asian rivals has been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in India-held Kashmir following the killing by Indian forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July.