Pakistan to respond with full force in case of Indian surgical strikes: Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday reiterated in the Senate that Pakistan's armed forces would respond with full force if India tried to carry out any surgical strikes inside Pakistan.

Asif, in a fiery speech, said that if India dared to carry out surgical strikes inside Pakistan, a befitting response would be meted out, making India forget any claims of false strikes.

He also said that India's past claims of surgical strikes were found to be baseless and false.

Asif claimed that the Kashmiri struggle for freedom, India's internal political compulsion, and its avoidance of composite dialogue were among the reasons behind its unprovoked ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and Working Boundary.

Asif said the India was making failed attempts to link the Kashmiri struggle with cross-border infiltration and terrorism.

He claimed that India's campaign had already failed on the diplomatic front and that it was afraid of Pakistan's success in the fight against terrorism.

He added that Pakistan would continue extending political, diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris in their struggle for their right to self-determination.

He informed the Senate that India had carried out 330 ceasefire violations ─ 290 along the LoC and 40 along the WB ─ until December 2016, which killed 45 civilians while 138 others were injured.

The frequency of violations had declined after December, he said.

Asif told the Senate that the violations had been reported to the United Nations Military Observers Group and the UN had been apprised for the purpose of investigations.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also raised the issue at the diplomatic and bilateral levels.

The defence minister said, "Our armed forces have successfully rooted out terrorists and their safe sanctuaries in North Waziristan, which was a great achievement," and that Pakistan's successes in the fight against terrorism had been recognised by the international community.

Senate condemn's Modi's statements on Pakistan

The Senate also strongly condemned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement attributing terrorism to Pakistan and reiterated that there would be no compromise on the defence and sovereignty of the country.

The House unanimously adopted a resolution to send a strong message of national unity to India. The resolution was moved in the House by Senator Sehar Kamran.

The House appreciated the reaction of international community to Indian premier's 'baseless propaganda' and expressed belief that his statements were an effort to divert the international community's attention from Indian atrocities in held Kashmir.

"There will be no compromise on sovereignty and defence of Pakistan, and its resolve to fight against terrorism and contribute towards bringing peace and harmony in the region," the Upper House reiterated.

Earlier, speaking on the motion, Sehar Kamran had said that since assuming office, Modi had adopted an aggressive policy against Pakistan.

She claimed India did not want peace in the region and always trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the region.

Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi alleged that the matter was one of Hindu fundamentalism and that India desired to be an 'American police of Asia'.

He said time has come to expose India's real face before the international community. He claimed that India was also involved in such violations with other neighbouring countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh.

He said killing of the innocent people was leading towards instability in the region.