Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Legislators in the Upper House of Parliament were informed on Tuesday that any aggression from India would be met with full force by the armed forces and the people of Pakistan.

“Pakistani forces are fully prepared and equipped to respond in a befitting manner in case India makes any adventure,” said Minister for Defence Khurram Dastgir while responding to a call attention notice moved by Senator Sehar Kamran.

The call attention notice was related to the statements made by US intelligence chiefs during the US Senate’s Armed Service Committee meeting. They had claimed that India might launch aggressive action inside Pakistan on the pretext of stopping cross-border attacks and the exchange of artillery shells across the Line of Control.

The defence minister said the US statement was based on assessments and India was well aware of its consequences. Pakistan has been on the forefront in the war against terrorism. “Pakistan is taking action against terrorists of all shades without any discrimination,” he said.

He said that Pakistan did not desire any escalation in cross border tensions, but would fully safeguard people living along the Line of Control. “After the successful completion of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Operation Raddul Fasaad is underway for eradication of terrorism. The network of militants has been dismantled,” he said.

Winding up discussion over the adjournment motion regarding the incident of firing by Afghan forces inside Pakistani territory, Khurram Dastgir said that the issue had been taken up with the Afghan government diplomatically. “Forces have been deployed and are ready to respond to any escalation on part of the Afghan forces in future,” he said.

Responding to a call attention notice, moved by Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Tarar said that international standard medicines were being provided to people in the country.

She said that a building had constructed for the Federal Drug Surveillance Laboratory in Islamabad. “However, the previous government had established a medical college there. The ministry desires to take the same building for establishing the FDSL there,” she said.

“Negotiations are underway for vacation of the building and hopefully within four months the building will be vacated and subsequently the laboratory would be set up there,” she said.

The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed ‘The Right of Access to Information Bill, 2017’.

The bill, moved by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, provided for the right to information in transparent and effective manner, subject only to reasonable restrictions imposed by law.

The PPP senators belonging to Sindh province raised the issue of increase in the number of missing persons’ cases in Sindh. Sassi Palejo and Ajaz Dahmra said that law enforcement agencies were picking up people, but did not present them in any court.

Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani summoned Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Asif to the House on Wednesday (today) after the recent remarks by US President Donald Trump. The Senate chairman urged the foreign minister to inform the house about Trump’s policy for South Asia and Afghanistan. Raza Rabbani said that Senator Mushahid Hussain had submitted an adjournment motion in this connection and the foreign minister should clear the government’s position.

Published in Daily Times, August 23^rd 2017.