Pak court’s move blurs political divide in House

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday strongly condemned grant of bail to 26/11 key plotter Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, saying India's disappointment had been conveyed to Pakistan in the sternest of words as the relief to the top Lashkar terrorist soon after the murder of school children in Peshawar comes as a shock.
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Speaking in Lok Sabha, Modi noted that shock and anger over the bail to Lakhvi cut across party lines and said, “The message has been conveyed to Pakistan in the appropriate words.The government will act in accordance to the sentiment expressed by this House.”
Lok Sabha adopted a unanimous resolution calling on Pakistan to take strong action against Lakhvi and condemned bail to the key 26/11 plotter in the death of 166 persons and called on the Indian government to take all steps to ensure that the terrorist was not released.
Modi said bail for Lakhvi was a shock to all those who believed in humanity, particularly as it came just after the brutal killings of school kids in Peshwar. “The pain India felt was not one bit less than that experienced in Pakistan,” he said.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was consulted by the government in framing the resolution, said it was clear that when it came to matters of national security and terror attacks on India there were no political divisions in Parliament.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj made a detailed statement which said Pakistan has made mockery of its pledge to fight terrorism “without any condition or discrimination” and asserted that Islamabad should immediately get the decision overturned.
“We do not accept this fact that Lakhvi, who is the 26/11 mastermind and has been declared an international terrorist by the UN, is released on bail... We demand that Pakistan government should have this decision overturned immediately. We are keeping a watch on its response.”
Asserting that it is Pakistan's responsibility to ensure punishment to those behind the Mumbai attack by furnishing evidence, she said, “We reject this argument that there is lack of adequate evidence.”
The resolution adopted by Lok Sabha asked the government to take “all steps in its power, including through its relations with foreign countries, to put pressure on Pakistan to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”
“(Bail to Lakhvi) emboldens terrorists who committed massacre of children in Peshawar,” she said. Countering the claim that there was no evidence against Lakhvi, she said 99 per cent evidence is available in Pakistan and Pakistani investigators had six years to collect all evidence.
“It seems that the lesson that there should be no compromise with terrorists has not been learn't,” the resolution read out by Speaker Sushma Swaraj said.”Lok Sabha unanimously condemns the decision to grant bail to Zakiur Rahman Lakhvi, accused conspirator in the murder of 166 individuals in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.”
The House called upon the Pakistani government to “proceed strongly” with its declared intention to appeal against the bail and “requests the government to ensure that on no account is such an individual permitted to be released”.
Voicing concern over the numerous delays in prosecution and the “apathetic attitude” of the government of Pakistan, the resolution said it has resulted in the grant of bail to an accused terrorist.
Hectic activity, apparently over drafting of the resolution was witnessed in Lok Sabha. Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to his colleagues Shashi Tharoor and K C Venugopal and deputy speaker M Thambidurai sitting by his side in the opposition bench drew the attention of Modi and parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu across the House.
Soon after, Naidu signalled Tharoor to come over. When Tharoor went to the Treasury benches, Modi stopped him and spoke to him. The Congress leader then sat alongside the external affairs minister in the front row of the treasury benches, with senior BJP leader L K Advani and Thambidurai on one side and the Prime Minister on the other.
They were seen discussing and writing something on a piece of paper, apparently the draft of the resolution.
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