The madness of a possible surgical strike inside Pakistan by Indian army chief received a befitting response from Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif who retaliated in the same tone, warning India to stay in its limits or else 'Pakistan will explain the true meaning of surgical strike to calm it down.'

Winding up a debate on a deferred motion moved by PPPP Senator Mudassir Seher Kamran in Senate on continuing Indian violations at the Line of Control (LoC) and the Working Boundary, he plainly stated: "So far they [Indians] have been staging the drama of fake surgical strike, but when our armed forces will do a surgical strike, they will get to know what surgical strike is really meant."

He asserted that India had befooled its people that it conducted a surgical strike inside Pakistan but in reality it never took place, and now again its army chief had talked about another surgical strike, and he would have to face the consequences of any such misadventure.

Earlier, the House unanimously adopted a resolution moved by PPPP's Senator Sehar Kamran, which states, "This House strongly condemns the statement of Indian Premier Narendra Modi attributing terrorism to Pakistan and drawing a parallel between India and Israel evoking a parallel between Kashmir and Palestine, during the recently-held BRICS summit held in Goa, India."

"The House appreciates the reaction of the international community to this baseless propaganda by the Indian Prime Minister. The House believes that the statement by Indian Premier was an effort to divert the attention of the international community from Indian atrocities against the people of Indian Held Kashmir," the resolution said.

Asif pointed out that in order to divert the attention from its deepening domestic economic and political issues, India had tried to stage a drama of fake surgical strike and when it did not work, it resorted to the LoC and the Working Boundary violations but valiant armed forces of Pakistan retaliated in a befitting manner.

The minister spelt out reasons for this type of postures by India, saying that at a time when 16-nation alliance in Afghanistan was busy dealing with terrorism, whereas Pakistan's brave armed forces had taken the war against terrorism to its logical end and side by side with Taliban, Daish was gaining strength in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's successes against terrorism, he noted, have been recognised by the world community while terrorist sanctuaries in the North Waziristan Agency have been either eliminated or radically confined. The minister said it was also part of India's policy to engage Pakistan Armed Forces on the eastern border but the Zarb-e-Azb operation continues steadily with full force and India has failed in its ploy.

The minister also said that the firing and violation at the LoC and the Working Boundary was a proof of India's attempt to avoid composite dialogue with Pakistan, which sought headway in finding ways to resolve all issues with the neighbouring country. He said it is also New Delhi's compulsion to maintain tension with Pakistan in view of approaching elections in three key Indian states, including Eastern Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Referring to continued Indian forces' aggression against innocent Kashmiris, the minister said that India is focused on building-up such conditions on LoC and the Working Boundary to divert attention from the fresh wave of freedom movement in Indian Occupied Kashmir, spearheaded by Kashmiri youth.

India, he pointed out, made a failed attempt to link the indigenous Kashmir liberation movement with terrorism. He said on its part, Pakistan continues moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris' indigenous movement, which would God willing reach its ultimate destination.

"To malign the movement, India had earlier also tried to tag it as a movement of terrorism, but the world community refused to buy it," the minister maintained.

He said till December 2016, there had been a total of 325 cease-fire violations by India: 290 along LoC and 40 along the Working Boundary, which claimed 45 innocent civilians' lives while another 138 were wounded.

The government, the minister continued, has been raising successfully and forcefully India's aggressive moves at appropriate fora, including the United Nations, OIC and with UN Military Observer Group, which should probe and report to the world body.

Asif reiterated that the army has retaliated in a matching caliber to India's violations.

Earlier, Senator Sehar Kamran, Lieutenant General Abdul Qayyum (retd) of PML-N, MQM's Col (retd) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Sassui Palijo of PPPP and PTI's Mohsin Aziz slammed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his aggressive designs against Pakistan and termed them a bid to crush the ongoing freedom movement in Indian Occupied Kashmir.

They said that Pakistan just cannot match Modi's craziness and mindlessness, as the peoples of the two nations want peace and harmony. They believe the moves by Modi government are a cause of regional destabilisation.

The senators also decried India's dream of becoming 'Greater India' and imaginary vision of 'Ashoka's India.' Some of them called for adopting a more assertive position at the global level against New Delhi and giving a matching response to its aggression. They blasted Modi for resorting to water terrorism and the threat of pulling out of the Indus Water Treaty.

They urged the government to go for aggressive diplomatic moves to expose India, which knows well it cannot afford a war with Pakistan. They decried that even Pakistani artists were threatened and denied awards, which they deserved and were nominated for.

Jamaat-e-Islami's Senator Sirajul Haq tabled a bill to amend further the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860. The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016, envisages tougher punishment, including jail term and fine for those who would deal in obscene material. However, his other bill seeking a constitutional amendment was rejected by eleven votes to seven votes after the Law Minister Zahid Hamid opposed it.

Senator Chaudhry Tanvir Khan's bill to amend further the Ehtram-e-Ramazan Ordinance, 1981 was referred to the concerned house panel for consideration and report. Sixteen senators voted for the bill while 15 opposed it.

The House adopted his resolution that says: "This House recommends that the government should launch a scheme for provision of interest-free loans to farmers for installation of solar tube wells in the country."

The House also made amendments in Senate rules that chairman of a standing committee or a member presiding the meeting in his/her absence will not cast his vote in the event of equality of votes in case he/she is a mover of a matter under consideration of the panel. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla of PPP moved the amendment, which was unanimously adopted by the House. -Business Recorder