Cramping the Manmohan Singh government’s bid to boost ties with Pakistan, Parliament unanimously rejected the Pakistan National Assembly’s resolutions blaming India for aggression along the Line of Control and condemned the Pakistan army for attacks on Indian forces.
“There should be absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind including members of the Pakistan National Assembly that it was the Pakistan army that was involved in the unprovoked attack on an Indian Army patrol on our side of the LoC on August 6,” Parliament asserted, rebuffing the Pakistan National Assembly’s accusation that Indian Army was guilty of unprovoked aggression.
Retaliating against Pakistani lawmakers’ support for the “struggle” of Kashmiri people, both Houses reiterated India’s claim to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as set out in a 1994 resolution of Parliament.
“This House strongly condemns the action of the Pakistan army and reiterates once again that the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir including the territory forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan, is an integral part of India and will always remain so,” asserted the tit-for-tat resolution.
While stressing that India poses no threat to Pakistan and its people, Parliament said, “India upholds the sanctity of the Line of Control and calls upon the government of Pakistan to abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the international border and the Line of Control both in letter and spirit.”
The strong sentiments expressed by Parliament can restrict the scope for meaningful engagement with Pakistan even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in September at the UN.
The message was echoed by President Pranab Mukherjee in his pre-Independence Day address on Wednesday evening when he said despite a deeply held commitment to peace, India's patience has limits.
“There should be absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind including members of the Pakistan National Assembly that it was the Pakistan army that was involved in the unprovoked attack on an Indian Army patrol on our side of the LoC on August 6,” Parliament asserted, rebuffing the Pakistan National Assembly’s accusation that Indian Army was guilty of unprovoked aggression.
Retaliating against Pakistani lawmakers’ support for the “struggle” of Kashmiri people, both Houses reiterated India’s claim to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as set out in a 1994 resolution of Parliament.
“This House strongly condemns the action of the Pakistan army and reiterates once again that the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir including the territory forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan, is an integral part of India and will always remain so,” asserted the tit-for-tat resolution.
While stressing that India poses no threat to Pakistan and its people, Parliament said, “India upholds the sanctity of the Line of Control and calls upon the government of Pakistan to abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the international border and the Line of Control both in letter and spirit.”
The strong sentiments expressed by Parliament can restrict the scope for meaningful engagement with Pakistan even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh prepares to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in September at the UN.
The message was echoed by President Pranab Mukherjee in his pre-Independence Day address on Wednesday evening when he said despite a deeply held commitment to peace, India's patience has limits.
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