AS India persists with rhetoric, credit goes to the civil and military leadership of Pakistan for remaining fully alert to foil designs of the enemy and mounting an effective diplomatic offensive to expose Indian falsehood and jingoism.
This became evident during an in-camera briefing to the parliamentarians by Director General ISPR Lt.
Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry and Minister for information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on the stand-off with India and statement by more members of the international community including Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for resolution of the crisis through discussions and dialogue.
In line with the clear and bold stand taken by Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, India has once again been warned that the people of Pakistan and their armed forces stood united to give a befitting response in case of any misadventure in the wake of Pahalgam false flag operation.
The Army spokesperson apprised representatives of political parties of the defence forces’ readiness to deal with any misadventure by the neighbouring country whereas the Minister for Information briefed them on Pakistan’s point of view and diplomatic measures in the present tense situation.
It is regrettable that the PTI, once again, chose not to attend an important moot on the critical issue of national security on a flimsy ground linking its participation to the release of its leader Imran Khan, knowing well that the linkage was unrealistic as its founding chairman is facing legal cases and his release can be decided by the judiciary alone.
However, in a positive move, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan categorically stated that the party stands firmly behind the Army without ifs and buts.
He explained that the PTI’s boycott is against the government’s briefing as their stance was that APC should be convened in view of the seriousness of the issue including the suspension of the Indus water treaty by India, which is an act of war.
This shows political differences notwithstanding, the entire nation is rock solid in its resolve to defend the motherland in case of any aggression.
It may also be pointed out that all parties adopted a unanimous stance during debate on the issue in the Senate and, hopefully, a similar message will be conveyed by the National Assembly as well.
In a related development, Pakistan has successfully tested an improved version of its nuclear-capable Abdali missile, significantly increasing its range to 450 kilometres.
And, on the diplomatic front, Pakistan has decided to brief the United Nations Security Council on the latest situation in the region.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has directed Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations to take immediate steps to convene a meeting of the Council to sensitize members of the international community on India’s aggressive actions, provocations and provocative statements, especially illegal suspension of Indus Water Treaty.
As part of the campaign to present a true picture before the world, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif talked to his Malaysian counterpart Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim over phone reiterating Pakistan’s offer of an international, transparent, credible and neutral investigation to ascertain the facts behind the incident.
The Foreign Minister briefed his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who expressed concern over the situation and stressed the importance of diplomacy to resolve issues.
More important is the clear cut stance taken by the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and GCC, which have not only stressed the need to resolve the differences through peaceful means but also urged the international community to intensify efforts to find a peaceful resolution to it, in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
In a statement, GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiw also warned against the escalating trend of Islamophobia, stating that discriminatory rhetoric and policies could inflame tensions and undermine ongoing peace efforts.
We hope India will listen to the will of the international community, refrain from embarking on the path of aggression and cooperate for finding a peaceful resolution of the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir as this will be a firm guarantee against sustainable peace and security in the region.
