Mumbai, Oct 26: Taking a tough stand against the Centre's proposal to start a ferry service between Mumbai and Karachi as part of its fresh peace initiatives with Pakistan, Shiv Sena today said it would not allow the service to operate. "In support of a stand taken by party supremo Bal Thackeray, we will not allow it(ferry service) to happen. Already, the ISI is having its network operating in India and with this new service, it would not only increase terrorism but burden our surveillance service,” Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Nirupam said.
"Thackeray categoricallly stated during his brief to party workers that there was no use taking unilateral decision by the Indian government on the matter when there was no response from the Pakistan government,” Nirupam told news agencies and added that Sena would not allow the ferry service to take off.
"Our view is very clear," Nirupam said, adding that since Pakistan government has not responded so far to Deputy Prime Minsiter L K Advani's request to deport all those accused in the 1993 bomb blast case including Dawood Ibrahim, "there is no use of taking any initiative unilaterally to begin a ferry service between Mumbai and Karachi”.


Therefore, the Centre should give "no extra opportunity and concession to those who are waiting to destabilise the nation," he said.
On October 22, India in its peace initiative had proposed establishing link between the coast guards with Pakistan, launching a ferry service and stopping arresting fishermen of the two countries for crossing water borders, among others.

Bureau Report