Govt making "fundamental departure" in Indo-Pak ties, says Congress

New Delhi: Congress on Monday accused the ruling NDA of making a "fundamental departure" in New Delhi's position on Indo-Pak ties and of 'disrespecting' Parliament, as the government assured that the External Affairs Minister will make a statement on the issue later this week.

Raising the issue at the start of Rajya Sabha proceedings, Anand Sharma demanded that the Prime Minister should clarify on India's engagement with Pakistan and take Parliament and the Opposition into confidence about the direction and the roadmap that the government has in mind.

"I have given a notice under Rule 267 so that the Prime Minister and his government inform the House about the developments and the reasons which have made the government to make a fundamental departure from the position as was conveyed to this august House in the last session with regard to India's engagement with Pakistan," he said.

With the Winter Session starting 10 days ago and Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting his Pakistani counterpart on the sidelines of Paris Climate Summit last week, Sharma said "we did expect that he would take Parliament and leaders of opposition into confidence about the direction and the roadmap that the government has in mind".

Sharma said now External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is going to Islamabad and added that "this is disrespect to Parliament, that Parliament is not informed as to what developments are taking place."

"The fact that the Foreign Secretaries have accompanied the National Security Advisors means that the scope and the agenda has been expanded.

"Therefore, we would demand government takes Parliament into confidence and the Prime Minister shares as to what has been the understanding reached between him and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the government now to move forward," he said.

Responding to him, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi reaffirmed government's strong commitment to national interest and said, "on the issue raised by you, I assure you that on December 10 the External Affairs Minister will come to the House and provide all information on the issues that you have raised."