ISLAMABAD - At a time when Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi were holding a meeting in Russia to diffuse tensions, a close aide to the PM told Senate on Friday that Pakistan will always give a befitting response to any Indian aggression.
"We have not closed our eyes. We are not beggars and will come forward with honour," Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said while responding to a call attention notice from PPP’s Sussi Palejo about destruction of infrastructure along the Working Boundary due to heavy Indian shelling.
He said Pakistan had been taking up with India the issue of cross border violations by its forces and Pakistani side also had 'physically reacted' to such violations. However, as member of the National Security Committee, he said, he could say that attaining peace was the clear policy of their government.
The minister said "Pakistan was declared an unstable country in the past" and, as the country was moving towards economic stability, it appears as if some recent economic stability linked developments in Pakistan, especially announce of CPEC, were not digestible to its next door neighbour.
India also raised the issue with China, claiming that China Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) would pass through the ‘controversial’ territory of Gilgit Baltistan, but Pakistan reiterated its stance that GB was very much part of the country, he added.
Earlier, the mover of notice, Sussi Palejo said India threats were violation of ceasefire agreement. On one side Indian PM wanted to see his Pakistani counterpart (at Saar summit in Islamabad) and on the other side Indian force (BSF) was destroying Pakistani homes along the Working Boundary with heavy mortar shelling.
"We condemn this muscular behaviour and this is a grey area," she said. Indian forces have (also) been trying to invade (Pakistani) waters near Thatta, Sindh, she informed the house. "It should not be taken for granted," Sussi said, adding that Chenab Rangers might have been retaliating over such cross border violations.
The house in its sitting passed the Credit Bureaus Bill, 2015 unanimously whereas the chair deferred four bills over non-completion of required time to be included in the notice agenda and gave its ruling on the issue. These were: the Safeguard Measures (Amendment) Bill 2015, the Countervailing Duties Bill 2015, the Anti-Dumping Duties Bill 2015 and the National Tariff Commission Bill 2015.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at first protested over the ruling saying that if these bills were to be deferred, these should not be brought on the agenda of the day. But later he gave in before the arguments of Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani.
The chairman in its ruling said that as these bills originated in the Senate and as per rules at least two clear days were required to intervene between the day of supply of the bill to members and the day for setting down it for a motion. But, in the instant case, not even 24 hours have passed to presentation of Standing Committee report in the house.
The house through a motion authorised Senate chairman to constitute a special committee to oversee issues of foreign funded scholarships given to the government to bring more transparency in their award. The committee shall submit its report within two months commencing from the first working date after Eidul Fitr. The house also authorised the chairman to nominate seven members for the Parliamentary Committee on CPEC.
Before the prorogation of house, Chairman Rabbani remarked that after the 18th Amendment, some issues have arisen between the National Assembly and Senate and he would write a letter to National Assembly speaker in this regard after Eid.
Responding to the call attention notice of Hafiz Hamdullah regarding allotment of full quota of Umrah visas by the Saudi Embassy to the private agents who charge exorbitant rates, federal minister Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan said that Saudi government had approved 200 authorised agents to deal with Umrah quota and these agents deal with all agents worldwide.
"Foreign Office has raised the issue with the acting ambassador of Saudi Arabia and he has replied that the matter was not Pakistan specific," he said, adding that Saudi government did not charge any visa fee for Umrah. "We have raised this issue with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through acting ambassador," he said.