Defence Minister AK Antony on Thursday attempted to undo his “goof up” on the killing of five Indian jawans on Tuesday and held “specialist troops” of the Pakistan Army responsible for the attack on Indian soldiers on our side of the loC.
The belated admission by the UPA Government about Pakistan’s role in the killing quickly followed expression of “sadness” by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif “, who referred to the recent incidents on the loC as “loss of precious human lives.”
As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has come under pressure from the BJP not to hold talks with him in New York next month, Sharif said he ‘is looking forward’ to the meeting in which he would discuss steps to further build trust and consolidate the bilateral relationship, when he meets his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New York next month.
Chairing a meeting at the foreign office in Islamabad to review tensions in the wake of the killing of five Indian soldiers, Sharif said the two countries should take effective steps to restore the ceasefire along the line of control.
But for the first time since the incident, the UPA Government talked tough. In his second statement made in the lok Sabha on Thursday, Antony admitted ‘nothing happens from Pakistan side of the line of Control without support, assistance, facilitation and often, direct involvement of the Pakistan Army.” The Defence Minister also flexed his muscles in claiming ‘this incident will have consequences on our behaviour on the line of Control and for our relations with Pakistan’.
He added, “Our restraint should not be taken for granted; nor should the capacity of our Armed Forces and resolve of the Government to uphold the sanctity of the loC ever be doubted.”
Antony insisted that those in Pakistan responsible for this tragedy and the brutal killing of two soldiers earlier this year should not go unpunished. “Pakistan should also show determined action to dismantle the terrorist networks, organisations and infrastructure and show tangible movement on bringing those responsible for the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008 to justice quickly,” he added.
In his statement in the lok Sabha on Tuesday, the day Jawans were killed, Antony had virtually exonerated the Pakistan Army in suggesting that the attack was carried out by ‘approximately 20 heavily armed terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniforms’.
The Defence Ministry had contradicted the Minister’s statement through its release which blamed “20 heavily armed terrorists along with soldiers of Pak Army” responsible for the attack. Antony told the lok Sabha that his statement in the lower House on Tuesday was based on the available information (at that point of time).
“We are happy that the Defence Minister has accepted his mistake and tried to rectify it...He has said the Pakistan Army was involved and that our restraint should not be taken for granted,” leader of the Opposition in the lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said soon after Antony’s revised statement in the House.
Taking on the Congress, Swaraj suggested that those who had alleged the BJP was playing politics over the killing of five Indian soldiers were wrong and they should know that the party was trying to correct the Defence Minister’s statement made on August 6.
Swaraj said the Opposition was not playing politics but wanted to express the commitment to the nation on the issue and send a message to Pakistan that it cannot commit such acts again.
“The Opposition supports your statement and we have been successful in saying in one voice that Pakistan cannot resort to such acts,” she said, telling the government that it should ensure that such a blunder is not repeated.
However, some members, including those from Shiv Sena and RJD, sought a debate on Home Minister’s response but the Speaker did not allow it.
Maharajganj MP Prabhunath Singh, who recently returned to the lok Sabha as a RJD member, said four of the soldiers killed were from Bihar, and the issue must be discussed. At one point, he even trooped into the Well of the House to draw the attention of the Speaker.
“We may have a discussion if you give a notice,” the Speaker said. Singh insisted on speaking on the issue, but the Speaker adjourned the House till 2pm. The House again witnessed din due to the heated arguments between RJD and JD(U) members after the former alleged that Bihar ministers showed disrespect to martyrs by not receiving the bodies at airport.