ISLAMABAD - Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the Lower House of the Parliament condemned the unprovoked firing by Indian forces at the Line of Control and attacks on Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as well as Dosti Bus Service.
It was further demanded in the resolution that Pakistan should take up the matter with Indian government in a forceful but prudent manner, making the authorities in New Delhi realise that escalation in tension would not be in the interest of both the nuclear neighbours and efforts should be made to normalise things at the LoC.
The resolution also expressed unflinching moral and diplomatic support to the cause of Kashmiris fighting for their right to self-determination under the UN resolutions.
In the beginning of the National Assembly proceedings, Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmad rose on a point of order and drew the attention of the House toward the unprovoked firing by Indian troops at the LoC, which had resulted into a human and material loss to the armed forces and civilians living in the area.
He requested the chair to suspend the proceedings of the House to allow the members to discuss this important issue and also adopt a unanimous resolution to give a message loud and clear to India that Pakistan’s restraint should not be taken as its weakness.
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, after taking the sense of the House, suspended the routine business to discuss the current tension on the Line of Control and the attacks and demonstrations in front of Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and Dosti Bus.
After the reflection of MPs on the issue, Federal Minister Zahid Hamid moved a resolution condemning the unprovoked Indian firing at the Line of Control, attacks on Pakistan High Commission and Dosti Bus, which was unanimously adopted by the House.
Initiating debate on the issue, Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmad came down hard on India for breaching the ceasefire agreement by indulging in the unprovoked firing at the LoC and causing human and material loss to Pakistan.
He further said India has never accepted the creation of Pakistan that is why it never lets any opportunity to destabilise Pakistan. He alleged New Delhi was behind all the terrorist activities in Pakistan.
Rashid further said whenever there was some positive development for Pakistan, India attempted to spoil it by maligning the country. He added that when India heard of the UN secretary general’s visit to Pakistan, it made the LoC hot by indulging in the unprovoked firing on Pakistani troops.
Sheikh Rashid said that by building couple of thousands dams on Pakistani rivers, India wanted to make Pakistan barren and regretted that “instead of giving a befitting response to India, our leadership kept mum.”
He also came down hard on the PML-N government for not coming up with a strong reaction to the Indian aggression and said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is also holding the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Defence should have come up with a strong reaction to it and should also have addressed the nation.
He further said the prime minister should also have called a meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet to take stock of the situation, but regretted that the rulers seemed indifferent to the human and material losses of Pakistani troops and civilians due to the unprovoked Indian firing.
Giving a warning call to India, Sheikh Rashid made it clear that people of Pakistan were ready to pay back India in the same coin and were fully capable not only of frustrating nefarious designs of Indian troops but also of teaching them a lesson in case of any adventurism on the part of New Delhi.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf central leader Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, taking part in the debate, said whenever there was any move to normalise relations between the two neighbours, the Indian Army spoiled it by indulging in some uncalled for aggression on the borders. It was not for the first time but for the past several decades Indian forces had been repeatedly spoiling attempts of peace.
He asked the government to take up the matter not only with Indian authorities but also raise it at International level with full force to inform the international community of the Indian aggression. He said Islamabad must make India realise that movement of troops on borders would cost billions of rupees, which was not in the interest of either country and cautioned that India should realise that war between the two nuclear states would have disastrous effects.
Pakistan People’s Party leader Dr Nafeesa Shah condemned the Indian aggression and appreciated Pakistani people for not getting provoked on the occasion.
PML-N MNA Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh, taking part in the debate, said India should realise that only peace in the region could bring prosperity to the peoples of both the countries. He expressed his optimism that the policies of Premier Nawaz Sharif would defuse tension between the two neighbours.
Later, after unanimously adopting the resolution jointly prepared by the opposition and treasury, the House was adjourned to meet again on Thursday morning at 11am.