Ceasefire violations down post surgical strikes: Govt

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 22

India today put on Pakistan the onus for resumption of dialogue, stating that it should first commit to end the state-sponsored terrorism.

Replying to queries in the Rajya Sabha, the government said ceasefire violations by Pakistan and casualties on the Indian side of the border had come down after the surgical strikes across the LoC.

The government, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha, was ready to talk to all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir to normalise the situation there.

Rajnath also warded off the Opposition’s attempts to corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his statement at an election rally in Gonda that the Kanpur rail accident was a conspiracy “from across the border”. To Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s query whether the NIA was reporting to him or the Prime Minister, Rajnath asked the members to wait for the NIA investigations to get over. Modi, he insisted, had not taken any names at the rally.

On resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, the Home Minister said: “Pakistan should at least make a beginning and say it is willing to talk and end terrorist activities and seek the support of any country in the world (to end terrorism).

“Pakistan should take an initiative,” he said on questions by CPM leader Sitaram Yechury and JD-U leader Sharad Yadav on why talks were not being held with Pakistan. “The previous (UPA) government had also placed a condition for Pakistan to give a commitment to end state-sponsored terrorism,” he added.

On the unrest in the Valley last year, Singh said Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had even written a letter “inviting all such (separatist) forces to talk to visiting delegation, but they still did not turn up.”

“We are ready to talk to everyone... The entire nation wants the situation to normalise in Kashmir. We are ready to cooperate with everyone and have taken all initiatives in this regard,” he said.

Singh said he had visited the Kashmir valley thrice during the unrest last year. “There has been no dearth of official communication,” he added.

Earlier, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said: “The ceasefire violations by Pakistan have come down post the surgical strikes. There were 228 ceasefire violations at the LOC in 2016 and 221 at the IB (international border). However, till February 2017, there have only been 22 ceasefire violations till now.

“The civilian casualties and injuries in 2017 has been zero at the IB and LOC, whereas in 2016 there were 13 civilian casualties and 83 injured on the LOC and 8 casualties on the IB and 74 were injured.

“Five BSF jawans lost their lives and 25 were injured along the international border. We claim that the incidents of ceasefire violations have reduced post surgical strikes”. Ends

On benefits given to the soldiers: Singh mentioned out-of-turn promotions and honour to soldiers involved in surgical strike. “We have decided that under any circumstances the family of a jawan martyred will get overall financial support of more than Rs 1 crore,” he said. Athough sacrifices of jawans could not be measured in monetary terms, “they got less money earlier,” he said.