Pandemonium in LA; Govt for resumption of Indo-Pak peace process

State Times News
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday witnessed pandemonium over the killing of four Army personnel in firing and shelling by Pakistan along the LoC in the State’s Rajouri and Poonch districts.
This prompted Speaker Kavinder Gupta to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.
Soon after the House assembled this morning, National Conference MLA Mian Altaf invited the attention of the Speaker over the killing of four soldiers in the latest firing and sought a statement from the government.
After the Question Hour ended, BJP MLA Ravinder Raina asked the government to bring a resolution in the House to condemn the Pakistani firing and was joined by party leaders who started shouting anti-Pakistan slogans.
National Conference MLA Devender Rana, independent MLA Pawan Gupta and Congress MLA Choudhary Akram jumped into the Well of the House, and questioned who was responsible for the unabated killings and where was the ’56-inch chest’.
Stop playing politics over the bodies of the soldiers. You should be ashamed, the Opposition members shouted against the BJP.
Earlier, National Conference legislators Altaf Kaloo and Abdul Majeed Larmi also jumped into the Well of the House to press the speaker to allow them to raise some “important points” during the Question Hour.
When the House re-assembled again, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri made a statement supporting a dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad to restore everlasting peace in the region.
“This issue was raised in this House before as well. Our stand is that peace and reconciliation is the only way, dialogue is the only way”, Veeri said.
He said the process initiated by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vaypayee should be taken forward for everlasting peace.
Giving the details taken by the government about arrangements made for displaced people, Veeri said that alternate arrangements for boarding and lodging have also been put in place to meet the situation arising out of frequent shelling from across the border.
He gave details of the latest incidents of cross-border firing and said that four Army personnel including an officer were killed, while two civilians and three Jawans including a BSF personnel were injured in fresh ceasefire violation along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts yesterday.
In Rajouri, Pakistan Army started indiscriminate firing in Balakote sector resulting in the killing of four Army personnel – Captain Kapil Kundu of Gurugram, Rifleman Ram Avtar of Gawalior, Rifleman Subham Singh of Kathua and Hawaldar Roshan Lal of Samba, while one Army jawan, Lance Naik Iqbal Ahmed, sustained injuries, he said.
In another ceasefire violation in Bandi Chichian sector in Poonch, he said one Army jawan, Sepoy Kishore Kumar and two civilians, Yaseen Arif and Gulnaz Akhter, sustained injuries.
Veeri said the ceasefire violation was also reported from Sunderbani where one  BSF personnel, Assistant Sub-Inspector Ajab Singh, sustained injuries.
He was immediately shifted to Army Hospital, Satwari for treatment.
He said firing was also reported from Bhawani and Lam sectors but no loss of life was reported.
“The respective district administrations are taking all possible measures to avoid loss of life and property.
“Alternate arrangements for boarding and lodging have also been put in place for the affected population,” he said.
Ruling PDP MLA Javaid Beig said that instead of provoking Pakistan, the House should appeal to both the countries to start a dialogue to resolve outstanding issues. Beig’s comments were protested by BJP members.
Opposition National Conference (NC) supported the Mehbooba Mufti government’s stance while calling for a strict implementation of the 2003 ceasefire agreed between the two countries.
“We support the statement of Veeri and the young Beig who is right in his approach. On our side, we should not do anything that will lead to further deterioration of the situation,” NC legislature party leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
He rued that it had become a habit for politicians to worsen the atmosphere through their statements.
“In my opinion, if a resolution is passed in this House, it should be that the people of Jammu and Kashmir demand both the governments to initiate the dialogue process so that peace is restored along the borders,” he said.
Abdullah demanded strict implementation of the 2003 ceasefire agreed upon by India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB).
The NC leader said that the Vajpayee government in consultation with Pakistan gave a ceasefire agreement which needs to be restored.
However, BJP MLA Raina, who demanded a resolution to condemn Pakistan for ceasefire violations, later told reporters that the neighbouring country had targeted an Army post after the Army thwarted its attempt to push terrorists in the State.
“We want the terrorist training camps in Pakistan be bombarded by Indian Air Force. Pakistan is a terror country and it cannot understand the language of diplomacy and democracy,” he said.