Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 4: Expressing serious concern over the heightened hostilities and unabated ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the LoC and the International Border, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha & former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that time has come to act and silence Pakistani guns.
Referring to the unprovoked firing and shelling in the border areas, especially civilians, Mr Azad said that Pakistani troops have created a constant state of fear, tension and anxiety among the people residing in border areas in the State.
He expressed grief and shock on the unfortunate death of jawans and civilians in Pakistani firing, saying that it is painful and heart-rending that jawans and civilians are laying their lives with regular frequency on the borders due to Pakistani firing.
“Time has come to act and silence the Pakistani guns as the residents of border areas since July 2014 have suffered unimaginable loss to lives, property, livestock, crops, etc due to unprovoked Pakistani firing and shelling. NDA Government should at least be cognizant of the plight and sufferings of the lakhs of people living in the border belt who have been forced to leave their homes and hearths in an extremely chilly weather conditions.” Mr Azad maintained.
“Our people are living under the shadow of guns since July 2014, when the Pakistani firing began to attain a new high in August-September 2014, acknowledged as the ‘heaviest’ shelling and firing on the borders since 1971 war”, Azad said.
While condemning Pakistan for resorting to unprovoked firing on civilians, Mr Azad called upon the Central Government to give an appropriate response to the Pakistani misadventures so that the continued hostilities and ceasefire violations on the border come to halt. He said that the residents of these areas have been forced under compelling circumstances to shift to more peaceful areas, leaving their homes and hearths when the chilly winter conditions are at its peak.
Conveying his condolences to the families of the martyred jawans and civilians, Mr Azad said. “My heart goes out to those who lost their nears and dears in the latest spate of violence on account of unprovoked Pakistani firing”.
He also conveyed his sympathies to those injured in the Pakistani firing and shelling in the current round of escalated tensions.
Slamming the NDA Govt for miserably failing to put a halt to ceasefire violations by Pakistan as was promised by it to the people of the country, Azad said that persistent ceasefire violations have made the life of people living in border areas miserable and they are forced to lead a life marked by fear, uncertainty and mental stress. “How long people of the J&K will be fed with rhetorics and hollow promises as the ceasefire violations go on unabated, and NDA Government remains insensitive towards the plight and trauma of the people”, Azad said.
He further said “every citizen of this country voted NDA Government to power to fulfil its promise of acting very strongly against Pakistan to bring an end to the incessant ceasefire violations. However, irony is that there have been a consistent uptrend in ceasefire violations ever since the NDA Government has taken over”, said Azad adding that more than five hundred sixty ceasefire violations have been witnessed in the year 2014 leading to deaths and injuries to scores of jawans and civilians, in addition to the other losses and hardships suffered by residents of border areas.
Azad said that the NDA Government must show calibre, capability and finesse to bring an end to the ceasefire violations in the interest of the lakhs of citizens who are facing the brunt of unprovoked Pakistani firing, as has been promised by the BJP leadership before the Lok Sabha elections.
Criticising the NDA Government for its overzealous overtures to court Pakistan by exchanging sarees and shawls, and laying red carpet to Prime Minster of Pakistan Nawaz Sharief even before taking the oath, Azad said that the misconceived and incoherent Pakistan policy has emboldened the Pakistani forces to indulge in misadventures and that the response of Government of India has been marked by ineffectiveness.
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