Pathankot attack: Congress questions PM Modi’s way of handling affairs with Pakistan

Voicing serious concern over the terror attack on Pathankot air base, Congress on Saturday questioned Modi government’s handling of Pakistan affairs while reminding the Prime Minister of his promise to assertively handle ties with the neighbouring country.

“It is indeed a very serious matter as seven days after PM Modi visited Pakistan to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif, a terrorist module comes from Pakistan and attacks in Punjab and attacks our frontline security installation. Two things are very clear. First despite PM visit to Pakistan, ISI continues to sustain and support terror activities against India. The current module appears to have come from Pakistan in the same fashion. Secondly the terror camps that are run by terrorists for carrying on anti- India activity in POK continues to be supported by Pakistani establishments. It raises security concerns for Punjab as the state is witnessing a sudden surge in such activities after being peaceful for the last 20 years,” AICC Communication department chief Randeep Surjewala said.

He said that the attack on the first day of the New Year in Pathankot is a matter of serious concern and the Opposition party expresses its deep concerns on this evolving situation of the internal security in the country.

The BJP government should utilize the services of security experts and if necessary leaders of the Congress Party in engagement and finding lasting solution to blocking terror activity which is coming into India via Pakistan,” he said.

Recalling that Punjab has seen no terrorist activity for last 20 years, Surjewala found fault with the government on the issue of internal security and rued,”two terrorist attacks has now happened in last 5 months, 3 terrorist attacks have been made in JK and Punjab in last 5 months by terrorists who have came from Pakistan.

First attack happened in Dinanagar in Jammu, second attack happened in Udhampur, Gurdaspur, Punjab where an SP of Police valiantly fought the terrorists laid down his own life along with the other police personnel and naturalized the terrorists. This is the third terrorist attack on the first night of the New Year.”

Suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists from Pakistan on Saturday struck at an Air Force base in Pathankot in Punjab, killing three security personnel while four of the attackers were killed in an operation that lasted more than five hours. The attack comes just a week after the Prime Minister made an unscheduled visit to Lahore, touching down in Pakistan for the first time on Christmas to greet Sharif on his birthday and for his granddaughter’s wedding.

Terming the recent attack a “very serious matter”, the Congress leader urged the Prime Minister to take stock of the internal security situation to ensure that such repeated terror incidents coming from Pakistan on Indian soil do not happen again.

“Will Prime Minister take up the issue with Pakistan, now that he has recently visited the country. How does the government propose to control and check the terror coming from Pakistan. These are important issues that the PM needs to address. Why is Punjab suddenly becoming a hotbed of such activities,” Surjewala said.

Surjewala recalled that it was Modi who used to say that no talks can be held when bullets and bombs are fired continuously.

“It is PM Modi who used to say he will show red eyes to Pakistan and then talk to them. We don t want him to show red eyes but we want him to take firm action to protect the life of citizens of this country and to ensure that our valiant security forces and our army do not lay their lives at the hands of Pakistani terror module which is continued to be exported,” he said.

Surjewala also rued that the country’s intelligence agency continue to issue generalised terror threats without giving any specifics resulting in attacks where the local police and security agencies are caught unawares.

“We also want the Prime Minister to ensure that the situation on the border of J&K where there have been 900 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in less than 19 months is checked and a final solution is found there too,” the Congress spokesperson said. He said the entire nation stands united to fight terror.

“Entire country stands united together to fight terrorism. There can be no two opinion on fighting terror among the 125 crore people of India. We all stand behind with our security forces in this resolve,” he said.

PTI