Terming the recent statements by the Indian leadership as “irresponsible”, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that the atmosphere for relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours has been hampered even as the country's parliament passed resolutions against India.
“Recent statements by Indian ministers have hampered our relations with India,” the premier said while addressing journalists at the foreign office, Radio Pakistan reported.
“Despite these statements, we will continue our efforts towards good neighbourly relations but they need to be reciprocated,” Sharif maintained.
“The entire nation is dismayed over these irresponsible and imprudent statements by the Indian leadership,” Sharif added.
The premier’s comments came during a time of constant verbal exchanges between the two countries. Indian Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore warned that the Indian strikes in Myanmar were a message to all countries, including Pakistan and groups harbouring “terror intent” and that India would strike at a “place and time” of its choosing.
“Pakistan will protect its territory at all costs and this message should be heard loud and clear,” Sharif reaffirmed.
“Externally sponsored violence poses as a great threat to the country,” he said.
“I told the UN secretary general that early implementation of their resolutions is incumbent,” Sharif said regarding his meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during his visit to Tajikistan.
“Kashmir cannot be relegated to backburner of history,” he added.
Earlier, the Pakistani parliament unanimously passed resolutions condemning recent anti-Pakistan statements made by the Indian leadership.
A resolution was tabled in the National Assembly by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. Addressing the assembly, Dar said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi openly accepted India’s role in breaking up Pakistan in the 1971 war, Geo News reported.
Dar urged the UN to take notice of the Indian leadership’s “hateful” statements, adding that Pakistan was continuously working to establish peace in the region, but foreign hands were involved in terrorism and suicide bombings in Pakistan to sow instability in the country.
The Indian prime minister’s statement of admission made this clear, he added.
The Senate or the upper house also approved a resolution against statements made by the Indian leadership.
The Senate resolution was tabled by Leader of the House, Senator Raja Zafar ul Haq. The resolution likened Modi’s statements to an attack on Pakistan. It reiterated that the Pakistan Army was fighting a war against terrorism and was fully prepared to respond to any form of aggression.
The response comes in light of the Indian prime minister's statements relating to the 1971 war during his visit to Bangladesh earlier this month.
