Lahore : The Pakistan Ex-servicemen Association (PESA) on Tuesday blasted India for killing seven soldiers by unprovoked shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
It is one of the military’s biggest single loss of life in AJK since a 2003 truce which is unforgivable as it has threatened peace between to nuclear states, it said.
This was observed during a meeting of Executive Council of PESA under Senior Vice President Vice Admiral Ahmad Tasnim.
The meeting discussed highly provocative and aggressive attitude being displayed by India along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and noted that Pakistan Army is fully capable of defending our soil. The veterans paid glowing tributes to the gallant soldiers of Pakistan Army for their befitting response through intense exchanges of fire resulting in many casualties on India side.
However, grave concern was expressed at the real motives of India for sudden change to such an aggressive style. Members suspected some deeper motives behind these activities like influencing our foreign relations or internal affairs.
It was felt that mere handing over of a protest notes to Indian diplomats after each incident was not enough. Foreign Office must play a pro-active role in apprising nations of the world about the situation through effective emissaries and demarches.
The international community must be adequately sensitized about the nuclear overhang in South Asia. They must inform global opinion vigorously, about India’s crude attempt to divert attention from the core issue of Kashmir and their atrocities against an unarmed struggle from freedom from foreign yoke.
Most importantly, Foreign Office must find out the real underlying reasons behind this change in Indian behaviour, the veterans demanded.
They highly appreciated formal start of shipping of Chinese cargo from Gwadar port as a good beginning of CPEC through joint efforts of civil and military authorities. All internal reservations should be resolved for early completion of this game changing project.
Member of the Executive Council are keenly following proceedings of the Panama Gate scandal in Supreme Court. It was the general desire that with a view to solving this issue at the earliest, the Court would not allow any delay in its proceedings.
Other participants in the meeting included Air Vice Marshal Masood Akhtar, Lt General Naeem Akbar, Brig Mian Mahmud, Mr Salim Ahmad Gandapur, Brig Simon Sharaf, Major Farouk Hamid Khan and Brig Masud ul Hassan.