ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that Pakistan will protect its vital interests at all costs but at the same time we will not abandon our high moral grounds in the face of provocations.
“We will not abandon the quest for peaceful neighbourhood but there should be reciprocity and acknowledgement of the overtures Pakistan has made to promote the dialogue process,” Nawaz said at the Envoys Conferences in Islamabad on Thursday in reference to recent irresponsible and imprudent statements from the Indian leadership.
The prime minister said that the entire Pakistani nation was dismayed over such statements from the Indian political leadership, adding that these vitiate atmosphere and take us further away from our goal of regional peace and stability.
In recent days, the Indian leadership issued provocative and hostile statements against Pakistan such the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the Dhaka University during his recent visit to Bangladesh accused Pakistan of creating “nuisance” and “constantly” troubling India by promoting terrorism while the Indian Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore yesterday threatened to carry out air strikes in Pakistani territory like their armed forces did in Myanmar.
Earlier in the day, the Senate and the National Assembly in their separate resolutions condemned such statements from the Indian ruling leadership and affirmed that Pakistan will never allow any country to violate its territory under any pretext.
The resolutions said that people of Pakistan and armed forces are fully capable of protecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan, and would give a befitting response to any threat from India.
The lawmakers belonging to both Houses of the Parliament also urged the international community especially the United Nations to take notice of such provocative statements by Indian leadership which not only negatively impact but are a direct threat for prospects of regional peace and stability.
