New Delhi, Jan. 15 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Tuesday termed as ‘barbaric’ the brutal killing of Indian jawans along the Line of Control (LoC), and said there cannot be business as usual with Islamabad.
Dr. Singh, who broke his silence on the prevailing tension with Pakistan on the LoC, said the attack on the Indian jawans is unacceptable.
“After this barbaric act, there cannot be business as usual with Pakistan. Pakistan must be held accountable for what happened on the LoC. Hope Pakistan will bring the perpetrators of beheading to justice. The future peace process depends on Pakistan,” television channels, quoted Dr. Singh as saying.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding tough action against Pakistan over the beheading of an Indian jawan along the Line of Control (LoC), Dr. Singh earlier on Monday spoke to senior opposition leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.
Dr. Singh, who assured both the leaders that the opposition would be kept in loop over the situation, also told them that the National Security Advisor would brief them on the developments on the LoC.
Tension between the two Asian neighbours has escalated ever since Indian jawan Lance Naik Hemraj Singh was beheaded in an attack by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control on January 8.
India yesterday lodged a strong protest against the ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and made it clear to it that the Army reserves the right to retaliate if provoked.
The Army’s position was conveyed at a brigadier-level flag meeting between the two sides at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing-point in Poonch sector of the Jammu region.
Pakistan has denied India’s claim that its troops crossed the Line of Control to ambush a patrol party in the Mendhar sector in Poonch district. Terming the gruesome act of the brutal killing and mutilation of two Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops as totally unacceptable and barbaric incident.
External Affair Minister Salman Khurshid on Tuesday said the repeated denial and lack of proper response from Islamabad to our concerns will hamper bilateral relations.
Khurshid, while addressing a press conference here said “It should not be felt that the brazen denial and lack of the proper response from the Government of Pakistan to our repeated demands regarding this incident will be ignored and our bilateral relations would be unaffected or that there will be as usual,” said Khurshid.
“The government has condemned the incident in strongest possible terms and deplored the grave provocation of the Pakistan army. We have called Islamabad to carry out a proper investigation of this unacceptable action and ensure that this doesn’t reoccur.” he added.
Referring to yesterday’s Flag Meeting between India and Pakistan at Chakan Da Bagh on the LoC, the minister said that outcome of the meeting is not satisfactory but the process is still on.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/pm-there-cannot-be-business-as-usual-with-pak/
