Imran, Nawaz, Zardari share stance on India

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD/LARKANA/ PESHAWAR: The political leadership of the country while condemning the Indian violation of Line of Control (LoC) said that nation is united against Indian aggression.

Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly condemned Indian intrusion and said Pakistan shall respond this uncalled for aggression at an appropriate time. During chairing meeting at the PM House, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed that elements of national power including the Armed Forces and the people of Pakistan to remain prepared for all eventualities. The prime minister appreciated the timely and effective response of the Pakistan Air Force to repulse Indian attempt without any loss of life or property.

Former president of Pakistan and President Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Asif Ali Zardari while strongly condemning Indian violation of LoC said that India should not have any misconception of this condemnation because Pakistan has full potential to strike back at appropriate time. “Each and every Pakistani citizen is standing shoulder to shoulder with Pakistani armed forces, he said.

The former president said that that if India is thinking of any misadventure then it should also keep in mind that we are a brave and united nation against any aggression. “Indian Prime Minister Modi should restrain from disturbing peace of the region. Voices are also being raised against jingoist Modi,” he said.

Asif Ali Zardari said that Pakistan is a peace loving country and wants peace in the region. Pakistan’s policy of peace should not be regarded as a weakness, he concluded.

Opposition leader in the National Assembly and President PML-N Shahbaz Sharif warned India that if India starts war then Pakistan’s flag will be hoisted in new Delhi. “It will be India’s mistake if it has taken Pakistan’s desire for peace as weakness,” he said while condemning the India’s violation of LoC.

The PML-N president said we have proud on the brave sons of the country who were defended the motherland. “Indian Prime Minister Modi wanted to push the people of South Asia into war,” he said, adding that on the one hand Modi was washing the feet of poor and on the other hand butchering the innocent people of held Kashmir.

Shahbaz Sharif urged India to use sense and avoid to push the peace of South Asia into fire of wars.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has strongly condemned the Indian intrusion in Pakistani territory and said that India has chosen to respond to a home-grown, organic freedom fighters attack in Indian occupied Kashmir by conducting an airstrikes on Pakistan soil for the first time since 1971. “This outrageous and unprecedented act of aggression should be condemned internationally. Pakistan is well within our right to retaliate,” he said.

He said the whole nation stands with our brave soldiers who are ready to respond to any scenario. “They risk their lives on a daily basis to keep us all safe. Atrocious that the extremist Hindutva a government of the so-called largest democracy in the world would risk provoking war between two nuclear armed states, to feed war hysteria at home and help with Modi’s re-election campaign,” her said.

PPP chairman stated that he was pleased that the opposition has called for a joint session of parliament, the appropriate forum for all decisions to be made. “While the whole nation will stand united with whatever decision is taken it is important for Pakistan to be cautious. We don’t want to play into Modi’s hands. Proponents of peace in the region on both sides of the border must join in calling for cooler heads to prevail,” he said. He said the people of India and Pakistan will be the collateral damage to any misadventure.

President Pakistan Muslim League and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi said that Pakistan had the defence capabilities, entire nation is standing shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces of Pakistan, if India resorts to war then such befitting response will be given that all accounts will be settled and Kashmir will also get freedom.

Appreciating Pakistan Air Force on its timely and full response forcing Indian aircrafts run away, they said that India has always been hostile and inimical towards Pakistan, rulers like Narendra Modi have not accepted creation of Pakistan from their hearts and they always target it with baseless allegations and have endangered peace of this region.

They said that Indian Prime Minister Modi has come down to low level tactics for winning his election, time has come to expose war hysteria of India before the world, after its aggressive act Pakistan has the right to respond. “Our nation is not in panic, armed forces of Pakistan are fully capable to defend the frontiers and giving effective respond.

They said that the Indian cowards are in habit of attacking hidden in the darkness of night but inventor of terrorism in Pakistan and enemy of peace. “India should understand that if attacks our sacred land then it will not be allowed to run away, every citizen of Pakistan and officers and jawans of our land, naval and air forces are enriched with the spirit of martyrdom,” they said. They said that India should not be in any wishful thinking and think thousand times before attacking Pakistan.

Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Pakistan, Senator Sirajul Haq said that Indian Prime Minister Modi wanted to thrust a war on Pakistan to escape defeat in the elections but he would only be inviting disaster for his country.

Sirajul Haq said that the main issue between Pakistan and India was of Kashmir. He said the Kashmiris were fighting the war of liberation from Indian hold and they wanted to join Pakistan. He said that in the present situation, it would be wise for India to hold dialogue with Kashmiris and Pakistan. “However, he said, if India imposed a war on this country, it would be wiped out from the world map. He said that the 220 million people of Pakistan were standing shoulder to shoulder with their armed forces and they would teach a memorable lesson to the enemy.

The JI chief said that the OIC was the platform of the Muslims and if the Indian foreign minister attended the OIC meeting, Pakistan should stage a boycott. He further said that if the world community wanted to stop a war between India and Pakistan, it should help solve the Kashmir issue.

Sirajul Haq impressed upon the government to convene a joint session of the Parliament and an All Parties Conference for consultation on the prevailing situation at the wider level.

He said that the nation was united against India and the ruling party was taking the opposition into confidence in the present situation.

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior and PPP senior leader Senator Rehman Malik has strongly reacted to the violations across the Line of Control (LoC) by Indian Air Force last night.

Terming it an utter violation of international laws, he said that Pakistan airspace violation by Indian Air Force proves the warmongering mindset of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rehman Malik said that violation of Pakistan airspace by India Air Force substantiates Pakistan’s point of view that PM Narendra Modi had pre-planned agenda of engineering Pulwama Attack to defame Pakistan, adding that India is bent on destroying the regional peace.

He said that PM Modi has been vocally advocating for aerial and surgical strikes inside Pakistan even before the Pulwama attack with illicit motives to instigate Pakistan for a bigger reaction. He has urged the international community to take serious notice of PM Narendra Modi’s warmongering before it that Pakistan retaliates more heavily and powerfully. He said that PM Modi wants to destroy the peace of the region in particular and the world as whole.

He questioned how kind prime minister is Narendra Modi when his own Defence Ministry doesn’t know about the IAF aerial violation across LoC. He said so the world is free to think if Indian forces are actually out of the control of prime minister and Ministry of Defence or it is a deliberate disinformation to have face saving before the world for the blatant violation across LoC.

Rehman Malik criticised OIC for inviting the Indian foreign minister to its meet as guest of the honour asking Pakistani government to lodge protest and boycott if OIC doesn’t take its decision back. He said how can it be allowed to happen and how can OIC invite such a country which is victimising armless Kashmiris fighting for their legitimate right of self-determination. Rehman Malik said that whole nation stand by Armed Forces in fight against country enemies.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed his concerns and condemned the Indian aircraft intrusion in Pakistani airspace, tweeted his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

Maryam said that during her meeting with Nawaz at the Koth Lakhpat Jail where he is serving his sentence in the Al-Aziziya reference case, the latter showed his concerns over the developments, reported local media on Tuesday.

Finance Minister, Asad Umar Tuesday said that Indian would get response at a time and manner chosen by Pakistan. “Indians will get response. The time and manner of response will be chosen by Pakistan,” the minister tweeted.

The finance minister urged Indian citizens to understand that their prime minister was putting them in the harm’s way for political gain by initiating a conflict.

Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal Tuesday rejected India’s stance over the violation of LoC, terming it a mere ‘political drama’ for consumption within its country.

In a statement issued here, she said Pakistan’s Armed Forces were ever-ready to safeguard frontiers of the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Babar Awan Tuesday said that India was playing a role of regional rogue. Talking to the media here at the Lahore High Court Bar, he termed the Indian air space violation a drama and said that similar drama was done in the name of surgical strike in the past.

Pakistan on Tuesday called upon the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council to take cognizance of Indian Air Force violation of the LoC and breach of international law, which emanated threat to international peace and security.

“Pakistan condemns the unprovoked Indian aggression across the LoC). This demonstrates yet another violation of International Law by India and Pakistan will respond and exercise its right to self defence in accordance with the provisions of International Law and UN Charter,”

said Dr Shireen Mazari, Federal Minister for Human Rights while speaking at the 40th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, a message reaching here said.

President Awami National Party (ANP), Asfandyar Wali Khan has termed space violation and provoking statements as dangerous for peace of the region, saying ANP to fully support country if war is imposed by India on Pakistan.

In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, Asfandyar Wali Khan said war is not solution to any problem and all the disputes should be resolved through holding dialogue. Asfandyar said both India and Pakistan should show restraint

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman Tuesday said that Pakistan’s armed forces were fully prepared to respond to the “drum of war India is beating. At this time, a powerful and clear message should be sent out from the Parliament that we will give a befitting and swift response to Indian aggression,” she said talking to private news channel.

Jamait Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has urged to protect every inch of the country in the wake of Indian air attack inside Pakistan territory, saying entire nation is united and behind the brave armed forces.

He was addressing a Khatam-e- Bukhari Sharif and Dastar Fazeelat conference held at Jamia Islamia Ishatul Quran Wal Hadees on Tuesday in Larkana.