Refrain from pushing both countries to war, Badal tells Pakistan

Pointing out that the people in east and west Punjab (in India and Pakistan respectively) would be the worst sufferers, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday called upon the Pakistani leadership to refrain from pushing the two countries to war.

 

"Punjab on both sides of border would have to bear the brunt in case of an outbreak of war between both the countries. Pakistan must understand that both East and West Punjab would be the worst affected by the war and we should try to diffuse the situation at the earliest. 

 

The national leadership of Pakistan is also aware of this fact and they must try to normalise the situation," Badal told media on the side of an event in Lambi assembly constituency in Muktsar district, over 250 km from here.

 

Badal asked the national government of Pakistan "to refrain from pushing both the countries to war through their nefarious acts".

 

Tension between nuclear neighbours India and Pakistan have escalated in recent months following Pakistan's open backing for terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir and the recent attack on an Army base in Uri town by terrorists suspected to be from Pakistan which left 18 Indian soldiers dead.

 

Reacting to the move of the Indian government to review the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan, Badal said that the central government "was fully competent and wise enough to take an appropriate call on the issue of Indus Water Agreement".

 

"Every decision taken by the GoI would be in the interest of the country and would aim at protecting the unity and integrity of the country. The matured and visionary leadership of the country is absolutely capable of taking decisions to safeguard the interests of the country," he said.

 

Punjab, which shares a 553-km long international border with Pakistan, has borne the brunt of attacks during Indo-Pakistan wars in 1965 and 1971. - IANS