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Islamabad, March 03, 2019 (PPI-OT): Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has written a letter to his counterparts in at least 178 parliaments all over the World, inviting their attention towards the deteriorating situation in South Asia and the recent aggressive acts of the New Delhi. It is important to note that in the aftermath of the recently concluded session of the parliament where the entire political representatives across party lines passed about the current situation, the Speaker has also sent the same resolution to all parliaments of the World.
In his letter, the Speaker informed about the continued violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by India, which has brought the region to the brinks of war and devastation. In the early hours of February 26, 2019, the Indian aircrafts violated Pakistan’s airspace on a pretext of attacking an alleged “terrorist camp”, he added. He further said that Indian aircrafts were effectively intercepted by Pakistani Air Force Jets and forced to withdraw while randomly releasing their ordnance that landed in Pakistan’s uninhabited remote area.
Asad Qaiser said that Pakistan strongly rejects the Indian purported claims of having targeted any installation and resultant causalities. It is completely absurd and is based on a false narrative designed to placate domestic audience. Pakistan, while reserving its right to respond against Indian aggression, kept its calm and warned India to avoid further escalating the situation, the Speaker said. He said that India has also continued unprovoked ceasefire violations at the Line of Control in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in deaths of several innocent civilians.
He said that the Indian Air Force once again violated Pakistan’s airspace, which was efficiently retaliated by Pakistan with the shooting down of two intruding Indian fighter aircrafts on February 26 and 27, 2019. An Indian Air Force Pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was arrested by the Pakistani Forces when his military jet MIG-21 crashed in Pakistan controlled Azad Jammu and Kashmir, he added. The Speaker shared his counterparts that during captivity, the Indian pilot was treated with dignity and in line with international laws. The Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan announced his return as a goodwill gesture aimed at de-escalating rising tensions with India, Asad Qaiser said.
“This noble gesture clearly establishes that Pakistan has no intention of escalation, but as a self-respecting nation is prepared to do so if forced into that paradigm. For the last few years, India has been trying to establish what they call “a new normal” – a thinly veiled term for doing acts of aggression at whatever pretext they wish on a given day” the Speaker said. He informed the international community if India is striking at so called terrorist backers without a shred of evidence, Pakistan also retains reciprocal rights to retaliate against elements that enjoy Indian patronage while carrying out acts of terror in Pakistan. He said that Pakistan does not wish to go to that route and desires that India gives peace a chance and to resolve issues through dialogue as a mature democratic nation.
The Speaker urged the deteriorating situation between Pakistan and India can only be normalized by amicably resolving the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Otherwise, peace in the region will remain an elusive dawn, he said. He added that Pakistan has also offered India numerous times for talks on Kashmir with the view to amicably resolve this longstanding dispute between the two countries. “The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan offered peace and dialogue soon after his election and took a great leap forward by opening the “Kartarpur Corridor” between the two countries, enabling the Indian citizens to freely visit their sacred places of worship, situated on Pakistan’s side of border” Asad Qaiser added.
The Speaker informed that India has not any inclination and is trying every effort to divert the International Community’s attention to hide its cruelties in Indian Occupied Kashmir. India has also been indulging in the senseless attempt to portray the indigenous Kashmiri movement for self-determination as terrorism, he said. “But International Community has rejected the Indian claim of equating Kashmiri struggle for self-determination with terrorism. The very scale at which the current movement has spread clearly reflects it being indigenous” the Speaker said.
Asad Qaiser said that the Parliament of Pakistan held a special session on February 28 to March 1, 2019 and took note of the deteriorating situation in South Asia in detail. After a comprehensive debate, it passed a unanimous Resolution, calling upon the International Community to play its due role in bringing peace to South Asia. “It also seeks for urging India to end the repression in the Jammu and Kashmir and resolve the issue in accordance with the UN Security Council Resolutions on Kashmir, which allow Kashmiris to exercise their right of self-determination under a UN supervised plebiscite, as early as possible” he said. The Speaker invited his counterpart’s attention to the deteriorating situation between Pakistan and India but also seek your esteemed Parliament’s condemnation on the Indian violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
For more information, contact:
Secretary
National Assembly of Pakistan
Automation Centre,
National Assembly Secretariat,
Parliament House,
Islamabad – Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9221082-83
Fax: +92-51-9221106
Email: assembly@na.gov.pk
Website: www.na.gov.pk