Pakistan committee passes resolution condemning Manohar Parrikar's remarks

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee of Pakistan today passed a resolution condemning Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's remarks that "terrorists have to be neutralised only through terrorists" and asked the government to take up the matter with the UN Security Council.

The resolution was unanimously passed during a meeting of the Senate's Standing Committee on Defence at the Parliament House here with Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed presiding over the proceedings.

The committee, in its resolution, took strong exception to Parrikar's statement, terming the remarks by him as an "open confession" of sponsoring terrorism as a state policy.

The meeting also demanded that the Pakistani government take up the matter with the UN Security Council and the international community.

The resolution said the statement has serious implications for India's neighbours and endangers peace and stability in South Asia.

The reaction by the Senate committee is part of a series of statements by Pakistan leaders expressing anger over Parrikar's remarks.

Last week, Parrikar had said India will take "pro- active" steps to prevent a 26/11-type attacks hatched from a foreign soil.

"We have to neutralise terrorists through terrorists only. Why can't we do it? We should do it. Why does my soldier have to do it?" he had said.