Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Security Committee on Tuesday supported the military leadership’s tit for tat policy for India, Daily Times learnt.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

According to sources, after a detailed briefing by officials, it has been decided categorically that no apologetic policy would be adopted at any level for India. Pakistan would raise Indian brutalities in Indian-held Kashmir on all international forums, sources added.

Military leadership’s point of view on the current regional situation and relations with India was supported by other participants as well.

“We took every step for peace and resumption of dialogue with India in a serious way but India always linked talks with terrorism and presented other conditions as well. Now it is unacceptable for Pakistan. India would get a strong response from Pakistan on every front, either it is political, military or diplomatic,” sources quoted the participants as saying.

The meeting also hailed the military leadership for taking the domestic and international media to the Line of Control to show the real face of India on alleged surgical strikes. They said that steps must be taken by political leadership and Foreign Office as well to expose India on international front, sources added.

Sources revealed that the Foreign Office came under fire for not mentioning the arrested Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadev in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the United Nation General Assembly. Nawaz said people of Indian-held Kashmir were struggling for their inalienable right to self determination guaranteed by the UNSC resolutions, which could not be suppressed through brutal oppression by Indian security forces.

“Pakistan and Kashmir are inseparable; we will continue to extend our moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people at every forum,” he reiterated.

“Pakistan does not cherish aggressive designs against any country or nation; we believe in peace and collective betterment,” Nawaz said. “However, our quest for peace must not be mistaken as a sign of weakness; our armed forces are fully capable of thwarting any kind of threat to our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The participants of the meeting noted that Pakistan is effectively fighting terrorism and has made phenomenal progresses in war on terror.

Escalation on LoC and eastern borders will shift Pakistan’s focus away from its efforts to eliminate terrorism from its soil at a critical stage, and is detrimental to the successes made by Pakistan in war on terror.

Referring to recent propaganda and false claims of surgical strikes made by India, the forum concluded that India should resolve the longstanding issue of Kashmir for enduring peace in the region, instead of such futile efforts of diverting attention of the world.

India must stop atrocities in Kashmir and recognise the just and legitimate struggle of Kashmiris for their right to self determination.

National Security Adviser Nasser Janjua, who is also convener of the Implementation Committee of NAP, briefed the meeting on the implementation status of NAP and the challenges faced at this stage of implementation.

The participants lauded the work of federal and provincial intelligence agencies which have enabled the security forces and the law enforcement agencies to foil many attempts of terrorists and vowed to provide them an enabling atmosphere to work within the ambit of law.

Secretary to the prime minister also gave a presentation on some aspects of reforms in criminal justice system.

The meeting agreed on the need of seamless coordination between federal and provincial governments as well as all law enforcers for achieving desired results.

The meeting was attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Pervez Khattak, Balochistan CM Sanaullah Zehri and Gilgit-Baltistan CM Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman.

It was also attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, NSA Nasser Janjua, ISI Director General Rizwan Akhtar, Foreign Affairs Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, IB Director General Aftab Sultan, MO Director General Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza and MI Director General Maj Gen Nadeem Zaki Manj.