Indian aggression: Senators say govt response non-serious

Panel demands that federal govt compensate the victims

ISLAMABAD:

A senate panel on Friday lambasted minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan for skipping the committee’s meeting and staged a token walk-out.

Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan noted that while Indian forces were using lethal aggression against the innocent Pakistani civilians along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary, the government was taking the matter too non-seriously.



The committee – chaired by Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Baz Mohammad Khan – also passed a condemnation resolution against India aggression and demanded that federal government compensate the victims.

“There are paid political diplomats in the foreign office but they don’t have time to appear before the Senate’s committee, which shows their non-serious attitude towards the sensitive issue,” said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Babar Awan, on whose requisition the committee meeting was called.

He asked why the minister for Kashmir Affairs had skipped the meeting despite receiving a notice.

“This is a matter of grave concern that the committee had called the meeting to discuss the one-point agenda of Indian aggression along the LoC and the WB but neither the concerned minister nor any member belonging to treasury benches is here,” Babar said.

“Today government was supposed to brief the committee about the casualties and steps taken to handle the matter,” he added.

Meanwhile, Federal Secretary for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Shahidullah Baig briefed the committee about the LoC issue and said 12 people were martyred by the ‘unproved’ and ‘indiscriminate’ firings by Indian forces.

But the figures of casualties were challenged by Senator Babar Awan, who said media had shown that at least 22 people were killed due to the Indian shelling. However, a joint secretary of ministry of defence said that till Thursday there were thirteen casualties.

Babar Awan said Modi’s regime was continuously threatening Pakistan with serious consequences, but political leadership was mum when it came to responding to these threats.

He said Indian forces were unabatedly killing people in defence minister’s constituency, but he had no time to visit the affected areas.

Senator Saeeda Iqbal also pointed out that there was no condemnation of the Indian aggression in the documents, provided to committee while Modi Regime was continuously pursuing an anti-Pakistan agenda.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2014.