Pak Senate pulls up army over LoC casualty stats

The Pakistan Army's refusal to share details of casualties suffered by the military during frequent cross-border exchanges with India along the Line of Control (LoC) has annoyed Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani.

The Pakistan Senate had for asked details of the casualties.

Speaking on behalf of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali gave a brief statement in the Senate on Tuesday about the situation along the LoC and provided details about civilian casualties only.

"Pakistan Army wants to withhold the information about the losses suffered by its troops due to security reasons," the Dawn quoted Ali as saying.

"We have written to the GHQ for the details of our soldiers who have lost their lives serving along the LoC. However, the military authorities refused to share the details citing security concerns," he added.

Strongly reacting to this, Rabbani said that nothing can be withheld from parliament.

Ali alleged that at least 66 civilians have died, while another 288 have been injured in Indian troops' fire across Pakistani side of the Line of Control (LoC) since the recent escalation of tensions between the two neighbours.

Rabbani was not satisfied with this figure and asked his secretariat to keep the adjournment pending for another day.

He directed the government to either provide the details during in an in-camera session of the Senate or submit them in his chamber.

Every senator would be allowed to see the written information in case the government opts to submit the details in his chamber, he added.