India hits back, rejects Pakistan’s resolution on Afzal Guru

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Friday moved a resolution `totally rejecting` Pakistan National Assembly`s resolution on 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who was hanged last month.

New Delhi: Parliament on Friday outrightly 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 fulfil 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 yesterday 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 Speaker Meira Kumar in the Lok Sabha and Chairman Hamid Ansari in the Rajya Sabha. PTI