'Guest of honour': Senators demand withdrawal of OIC invitation to India

Upper House extends full support to armed forces of the country in the wake of India aggression

ISLAMABAD: The legislators in Senate on Tuesday unanimously demanded of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to withdraw invitation to India for attending its 50th session starting from March 1 in Abu Dhabi.

India, for the first time, has received an invite as the “guest of honour” to the upcoming foreign ministers’ conclave of OIC. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is set to attend the Abu Dhabi summit.

The lawmakers raised their voice against the Indian misadventure of violating Pakistan's airspace in the wee hours of Tuesday. The Upper House of the Parliament, appreciating the timely response from Pakistan Air Force (PAF) compelling Indian jets to rush back in frustration, extended full support to the armed forces of the country.

At the outset of Senate session, Leader of the House Senator Shibli Fraz moved a resolution to suspend the routine business to debate on the Indian aggression.

Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri said the Indian misadventure was much anticipated after the Pulwama incident. He offered 10,000 volunteers of his party to fight against Indian army along with Pakistan's valiant forces.



“Like some other countries in the world, Pakistan should also give army training to the youth to fight with the enemy side by side with the Pakistan Army,” he said, adding that Pakistan was a nuclear-armed country and it came into being after great sacrifice.

Leader of the Opposition in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq condemned the Indian aggression and said despite political differences, the opposition was standing with the government in case of threat of war from Pakistan's enemy.

Former chairman and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) leader Senator Raza Rabbai said India had never accepted the creation of Pakistan since 1947, however, on the other hand, Pakistani nation had always showed resilience.

All of India's policies including foreign, military and economic were aimed at destroying Pakistan, he added. “Message should be loud and clear to India and its associates that Pakistan would respond to this aggression,” he remarked.

Rabbani said OIC never took notice of Indian aggression in the Indian occupied Kashmir and it remained silent when Pakistan – the founder member of OIC was attacked by India. "Being a responsible Islamic country, Pakistan has always raised voice against an attack on any other Islamic country in the world but this is an irony that no country has so far condemned Indian aggression," Rabbani said.

He stressed upon parliamentary diplomacy to expose the face of India to the world while demanding from OIC to withdraw its invitation to India from its upcoming session.



Mian Ateeq Sheikh from MQM-Pakistan said India was afraid of Pakistan's foreign policy. Pakistan after restoring peace in the country was contributing towards peace in the region which was a real factor of India's frustration against Pakistan.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan of Jamat-e-Islami said India failed to crush freedom movement in Indian occupied Kashmir despite using all brutality. He said the media and retired generals in India were busy befooling the Indian nation through false propaganda against Pakistan.

Senator Khushbakht Shujaat from MQM-Pakistan said India's aggressive action united Pakistan and it was a blessing in disguise. She said there would be grave consequences for the entire world in case of war between the two nuclear rivals, adding that ambassadors of Pakistan across the globe must expose India’s ugly face before the world.

Senator Nauman Wazeer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said the Indian army was not even capable of fighting unarmed Kashmiri freedom fighters let alone fighting against the Pakistan Army, which is known as one of the best armies in the world.

“The Indian air force has 750 fighter jets out of which 150 are operational whereas Pakistan air force has around 500 fighter planes and all of them are functional,” he said, adding that the House had to decide whether Pakistan should adopt the policy of hot pursuit or not.

Wazeer said Pakistan should adopt the "first strike doctrine" to not only destroy Indian jets but should also obliterate the bases inside India from where these jets were flown. He requested the Senate chairman to summon special session of committee of the whole to debate the “first strike doctrine”.

Faisal Javed from PTI said Pakistan had made enough sacrifices for world peace and as a result it emerged as a peaceful and peace loving country on the globe. He said Pakistan would respond to Indian action at the right time.