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Today's Paper | November 22, 2024

Updated 21 Feb, 2019 01:08am

NA passes resolution rejecting India's 'baseless allegations' against Pakistan after Pulwama attack

The National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution strongly rejecting "baseless Indian allegations" that sought to link Pakistan — without an investigation and "any shred of evidence" — to the Pulwama attack that killed more than 40 paramilitary soldiers in occupied Kashmir (IoK).

The resolution regarding the "baseless Indian propaganda against Pakistan" in the aftermath of the attack was presented by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser himself during a session of the lower house which commenced today.

Tensions between India and Pakistan are once again running high following last week's attack in Pulwama.

Over 40 Indian paramilitary troops were killed in the attack, which has been claimed by the Jaish-e-Mohammad, a proscribed organisation. India has alleged that those who planned the attacks had links with the Pakistani state — a charge that Pakistan has vigorously denied. Shortly after the attack, the Pakistan Foreign Office had condemned the attack, saying it was “a matter of grave concern”.

"This House strongly rejects the baseless Indian allegations seeking to link the attack to Pakistan without investigation and any shred of evidence," read the resolution passed by the NA today.

It condemned India's "kneejerk reaction where instead of introspection on its repressive policies against the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir ... [it] has again sought to shift the blame to Pakistan through baseless polemic and provocative rhetoric."

The resolution recalled the statements of various political parties' heads as well as that of Prime Minister Imran Khan, which offered Pakistan's assistance to India in the investigation of the attack and to take action on "actionable intelligence or evidence".

Read more: Pakistan will address actionable evidence if shared by Delhi, PM Khan tells India after Pulwama attack

The lower house in the resolution "strongly" denounced the continuing reprisal attacks on Kashmiris in IoK as well as the targetting of Kashmiri students in India after the Pulwama attack.

The resolution stressed that India's "smear campaign" should not "delude or obscure the real issues of the human rights nightmare and humanitarian emergency prevalent in IoK due to the Indian atrocities".

It emphasised: "No one should underestimate the resolve of Pakistan to defend itself against acts of aggression."

The resolution reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir was an "internationally recognised dispute" pending its resolution on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) because of "Indian intransigence".

It underscored that a just and peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute is an "unfinished agenda of the partition of India and essential for durable peace and stability in the region".

The NA called upon India to immediately halt its "continued human rights violations" in occupied Kashmir and to implement the resolutions of the UNSC.

It also called for an "impartial plebiscite to determine the future of the people of Jammu and Kashmir."

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