Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has urged the country’s lawmakers to improve relations with India and has assured that the military would back the civilian government‘s initiative for normalisation of relations with New Delhi.
Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has urged the country’s lawmakers to improve relations with India and has assured that the military would back the civilian government‘s initiative for normalisation of relations with New Delhi.
His statement came at a rare briefing to Pakistan's Senate on security situation and regional issues on December 19.
Speaking at an ‘in-camera session’ of Pakistan’s Senate Committee of the Whole, General Bajwa said that relations with all neighbours had to be normalised and urged political leaders to try to improve relations with India, Dawn reported.
Bajwa assured that their efforts would be fully supported by the army, the daily reported, quoting senators.
"We want good ties with all neighbours including India and Afghanistan," he reportedly told the lawmakers.
He, however, went on to accuse India of "fomenting instability and terrorism in Pakistan and had in this regard developed a strong nexus with Afghan intelligence agency NDS."
He said that a large part of Indian military deployments was mostly against Pakistan even though it cited other threats. His statement comes amid heightened tension in India-Pakistan relations following twin terrorist attacks of Pathankot and Uri last year.
The powerful army, which enjoys considerable influence over policy decisions in Pakistan, has ruled the country for much of its life since it gained independence 70 years ago.
Gen Bajwa was accompanied by Director General of Military Operations Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Naveed Mukhtar and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.
It was for the first time in six years that the military leadership had come to the Parliament House to brief lawmakers on the security situation.
Last time it was in May 2011 when then army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and then ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha had briefed a joint session of parliament about the Abbottabad operation in which Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had been killed by US forces.
Officials provided only limited information about the four-hour meeting between Gen Bajwa and lawmakers but the media reported the details of the discussion quoting senators.
Senate chairman Raza Rabbani criticised lawmakers for leaking details of the in-camera briefing by the Army chief, saying they had violated the sanctity of the upper house.
"If we keep up with the same attitude, no one will be able to take the house into confidence," he said.
He added that senators should know that in-camera sessions are not spoken about in the public.
Rabbani forwarded the matter to the House Business Advisory Committee for breaching the privilege of the Senate.
He tasked the committee, which will include leaders of the house and opposition in Senate and parliamentary leaders of all political parties, to investigate the matter and devise a strategy for future in-camera sessions to prevent similar situations.
(With PTI inputs)
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