Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Saturday said parties need to rise above their political interests and work unitedly to eliminate the menace of terrorism which has "swallowed a generation of youth" in the Kashmir Valley.
He said peace talks between India and Pakistan cannot be held now in view of the heightened tension between the two neighbours, although nobody is in favour of war as "our government has made it clear that the IAF strike inside Pakistan was not aimed at the country, its civilians or military installations but at terrorist camps."
Welcoming the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to India after being released by Pakistan, Azad said, "Peace talks cannot be held this time but appropriate steps need to be taken to avoid war between India and Pakistan."
"Nobody is in favour of war... We (India) are not in favour of war which was evident from the briefing of the foreign minister and home minister to the opposition parties. Our (IAF) strike was not against Pakistan, its people or military installation, but was aimed at terrorist camps. It is the responsibility of the world to see that the fight is restricted to the elimination of terrorism alone."
Azad congratulated the security forces, state police and the people for their relentless efforts to end terrorism and said, "I am hopeful that the people and security forces will overcome terrorism and restore peace in the region which will help in revival of economy, tourism and open new vistas for our youth."
Asserting that the Army does not belong to a particular party, like the entire country cannot belong to a single party, he said, "The nation belongs to every one and the credit for the good work of the Army goes to the nation."
Alleging that a particular party was trying to take credit for the actions of the armed forces, the Congress leader said, "They should avoid dividing the nation and the Army."
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