ISLAMABAD: All communication channels between the Indian and Pakistani militaries remain open in wake of tensions that have gripped the South Asian nations over the disputed Kashmir region, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa has said.

Stressing the need for resolving issues through dialogue, Bajwa confirmed that the Director Generals of the Military Operations (DGMOs) from both sides have communicated after escalation in cross-border firing at the Line of Control (LoC).

"All communication channels including the hotline between the two militaries are open," he told Xinhua news agency in an exclusive interview.

He said Pakistan wants peaceful neighbourly relations with all countries in the region "and that is the policy of the state of Pakistan and that is the policy of the political government and every element of power in the country follows the same policy".

Bajwa reiterated that India violated the ceasefire along the LoC on Sept 29 and later claimed to have conducted "surgical strikes" inside Pakistan.

"We did check everything on ground and we found the claim was absolutely false."

Ties between Pakistan and India worsened after an attack on an Indian military camp in Uri inside India-held Kashmir on Sept 18, where around 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

India alleged that Pakistan-backed terrorists were involved in the attack and initially claimed that weapons recovered from them bore Pakistani markings. However, this assertion was debunked by the Indian media itself, forcing the Indian DGMO to retract the claim.

Since then, exchange of fire has taken place along the LoC on an almost daily basis. The escalation continued when India claimed it carried out "surgical strikes" across the control line on Sept 29, claims Pakistan rubbished as being baseless.

India last month pulled out of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit scheduled to be held in November in Islamabad. Several other Saarc members followed suit, leading to the postponement of the summit.