India rejects Pakistan's resolution on Afzal Guru

The Parliament on Friday outright rejected Pakistan national assembly's resolution on execution of Afzal Guru, terming it as interference in India's internal affairs and asked it to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed a resolution asserting that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan, "is and shall always be an integral part of India".

Emphasising that any attempt to interfere in India's internal affairs will be met "resolutely and with complete unity" of the nation, it asked Pakistan to fulfill its commitment not to allow terrorism from its soil if it wants peaceful relations with India.

"This House totally rejects the Resolution passed by the national assembly of Pakistan on March 14,2013," said the resolution adopted unanimously by both the Houses after concern was expressed over the development.

Pakistan's national assembly on Thursday passed a resolution condemning the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and demanded that his body be returned to his family. "The House rejects interference in the internal affairs of India and calls upon the national assembly of Pakistan to desist from such acts of support for extremist and terrorist elements," the resolution said.

Noting that Pakistan has committed that it would not allow its territory to be used for terrorism against India, the resolution said "only fulfilment of this commitment can be the basis for peaceful relations with Pakistan."

The resolution was read out by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and  Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.

The resolution came in response to concerns expressed by members in both the Houses and demands that there should be a befitting reply to the development.

In the Lok Sabha, senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha raised the issue. "I urge that this House (Lok Sabha) should pass a resolution to give a befitting reply to the national assembly of Pakistan's resolution," Sinha said.

He said an attempt has been made to provoke the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government was concerned about Pakistan Assembly's resolution and urged the Speaker to move the resolution, which was later adopted unanimously.

 In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley asked the government to reconsider its engagements with Pakistan in light of yesterday's resolution.

The BJP and other Opposition parties demanded a resolution condemning Pakistan's interference in India's internal affairs and said there cannot be normalisation of ties with that country after its polity gave stamp of approval on the terror attack on the Parliament.

"Besides interfering in India's internal affairs, the resolution is an official statement by the entire polity of Pakistan endorsing the terrorist attacks," Jaitley said raising the issue when the House met for the day.

BJP’s Ravishankar Prasad demanded a "structured response" from the government on the issue and termed the resolution passed by Pakistan National Assembly as a "very sinister" resolution.