Cross-border tensions: ‘Modi should avoid hostile stance on Pakistan’

Leghari says the region would be negatively affected by such politics

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Sardar Owais Ahmad Khan Leghari said on Friday there would be no war between India and Pakistan.

He said India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi party was aggressively pursuing an anti-Pakistan rhetoric. He said the region would be negatively affected by such politics.

He was talking to newsmen after inaugurating the Chief Minister’s Apna Rozgar Scheme in Dera Ghazi Khan.

He said Prime Minister Modi was acting like he was still the chief minister of Gujarat and was displaying immaturity in his attitude towards Pakistan by portraying the country as India’s biggest enemy.

Responding to a question, he said during a visit to India, the Lok Sabha speaker had invited him to his office. Leghari said before he had arrived for the meeting, the Indian speaker had to leave for some work.



“No one in India refused to meet me,” he clarified.

He said the government was dedicated rooting out terrorism from the country. He said the 21^st Amendment was “the first step in the right direction.”

He said if anyone had concerns about special courts, they should approach the government.

“It was important for the prime minister to take all political parties on board for this amendment,” he said. “We appreciate the consensus that evolved in the wake of the tragedy in Peshawar. Terrorism can only be combated with national unity.”

He said the Apna Rozgar Scheme would provide vehicles to self-employed youth against interest-free loans. He said the process for selection of eligible candidates had been transparent.

“Pakistan will prosper when the society is in harmony,” he said. “That would be the new Pakistan.”

The balloting for Apna Rozgar Scheme in Dera Ghazi Khan was conducted for a quota of 5,954 vehicles against 11,929 applications of five districts of Dera Ghazi Khan division. The delivery of vehicles will start from the first week of February 2015.

The vehicles will be delivered to successful applicants after DCO’s verification report and drivers training test.

The computerized transparent balloting was conducted in presence of media under supervision of committee constituted by the government of the Punjab. Elected parliamentarians, government officials, senior executives of the Bank of Punjab and members from media and civil society were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2015.