Patience has limits: Pranab

Parliament Rejects Pak Resolution

New Delhi, Aug 14: India today told Pakistan that "patience has limits" and all "necessary steps" will be taken to ensure internal security and protect territorial integrity.

Without mentioning Pakistan by name, President Pranab Mukherjee said despite India's consistent efforts to build friendly relations with  neighbours, there have been tensions on the border and repeated violations of the ceasefire on the Line of Control, leading to tragic loss of lives. "Our commitment to peace is unfailing but even our patience has limits. All steps necessary to ensure internal security and protect the territorial integrity of the nation will be taken," he said addressing the nation on the eve of 67th Independence Day.

He applauded the courage and heroism of the security and armed forces who maintain eternal vigilance and paid homage to those who have made the supreme sacrifice of the most precious gift of life in the service of the motherland.

Mukherjee said in the recent past there have been grave challenges to the security, internal as well as external.  "The barbaric face of Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh led to a loss of many innocent lives," he said.

Parliament rejects Pak resolution

Earlier today, Parliament rejected the Pakistan National Assembly resolution, saying it leveled "absolutely baseless and unfounded" allegations against India and asserted that Pakistan Army was actually involved in "unprovoked" attack on the Line of Control (LoC) last week. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha unanimously adopted identical resolutions condemning Pakistan Army for indulging in the attacks and asked the government of Pakistan to abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the international border and the LoC in letter and spirit. Pakistan's National Assembly yesterday passed a resolution accusing Indian troops of "unprovoked aggression" on the LoC and extending support to the struggle of the Kashmiri people.

The two Houses said that the Pakistan Army was indulging in attacks at a time "when efforts are being made to establish a long-lasting framework of peaceful, friendly and cooperative ties so that both the countries may henceforth devote their resources and energies to the pressing task of advancing the welfare of their people."

The resolutions read out by Chairman Hamid Ansari in Rajya Sabha and Speaker Meira Kumar in Lok Sabha said, "This House rejects and deplores the resolutions passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on August 13, 2013 and the Federal Assembly of Punjab which made absolutely baseless and unfounded allegations against the Indian Army and the people of India."

Both the Houses underlined that "there should be absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind, including members of the Pakistan National Assembly that it was the Pakistan Army that was involved in unprovoked attack on an Indian Army patrol on our side of the LoC" on August 6.  "This House also strongly condemns the action of the Pakistan Army and reiterates once again that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the territory forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan is an integral part of India and will always remain so," said the resolution adopted by the two Houses.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present in the Lok Sabha when the resolution was adopted.

Both the Houses emphasized that India upholds the sanctity of the LoC and "calls upon the government of Pakistan to abide by the ceasefire commitment of 2003 along the international border and Line of Control both in letter and spirit." The resolutions said, "India is not a threat to Pakistan or the people of Pakistan. It is the terrorist groups that have been nurtured by Pakistan to target India and have become the biggest threat to peace in the region."

Source: http://www.greaterkashmir.com