India to be taught a lesson: Kh Asif

SIALKOT: Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said Pakistan will respond to India strongly if it does not stop its hostilities along the Sialkot Working Boundary.
He said this while talking to newsmen at the CMH here on Saturday after inquiring after those injured in the Indian shelling.
He added that now Pakistan would respond effectively against the violation of the ceasefire by India.
The minister said it seemed the Modi government had become confused due to the communal riots in the Indian state of Gujarat. He said the Indian government was diverting the attention of the world from these riots by resorting to unprovoked intensified shelling on border villages.
He expressed solidarity with the affected villagers besides paying rich tributes to their resilience and spirit.
Khawaja Asif said the entire nation stood united with the armed forces in defending the motherland.
MNA Ch Armughan Subhani, MLA AJK Muhammad Ishaq, MPA Asif Bajwa, DCO Dr Asif Tufail and others were also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, talking to a news channel, Khawaja Asif said that the Indian government had failed to achieve its goals. Nearly three dozen freedom movements were continuing in different parts of India while its forces were killing people in the central eastern and northern areas and the facts in this regard could be read in Indian newspapers, he added.
The minister said with the announcement of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, India started hatching conspiracies against Pakistan. “Our neighbour and some world powers have been hoping for the last 68 years that Pakistan should not progress economically,” he said and added the government and nation was committed to complete the CPEC project.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was ready to go to New Delhi but India once again sabotaged the talks by imposing preconditions, he added.
He said Pakistan wanted peace and tranquility in the region. Pakistan, he said, was capable to combat any aggression.
India would now suffer more losses than in the 1965 war as Pakistan was an atomic power and its forces were professionally trained and well equipped, he added.
“India wants to keep us busy in a low intensity war or low intensity engagement on our eastern border. Its troops are pursuing the tactics of keeping our forces busy on all fronts,” he maintained.
He said the Pakistan armed forces had defended the country’s borders on Sept 6 1965 though they were less experienced but today they were professionally sound.
The government, he said, was making all-out efforts to improve the country’s image internationally to attract foreign investment while India, on the other hand, was provoking it to achieve its nefarious designs.
He said Pakistan had been raising the issue of border violations at different international forums.
To a question, he said evidence regarding the Indian intelligence agency supporting terrorists to carry out subversive activities in Pakistan would be provided to the United Nations (UN) and various countries.
These proofs would have been provided to India if the Foreign Secretary-level talks had been held, he added.
Pakistan, he said, had given more sacrifices than any other country in the war against terrorism which had been even recognised by the international community.
To another question, he said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government was trying hard to make the national economy independent.
In response to another query, he said the energy crisis would be overcome to a large extent by 2017 with the completion of several power projects.
Replying to a question, the defence minister said that the government and military were on the same page on all national issues.
To another query, he said the election tribunal had given a verdict in his favour in April 2014 which had been challenged by the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
NA-122 Lahore was the home constituency of PTI chief Imran Khan and he himself should contest by-elections from there. But the PTI was trying to flee elections over lame excuses, he added.