This Article is From Jul 29, 2009

PM to clear the air on Indo-Pak joint statement in Parliament

PM to clear the air on Indo-Pak joint statement in Parliament

AFP image

New Delhi:

With the controversy over the Indo-Pak joint statement refusing to subside, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to set at rest doubts in the Congress as also in the opposition on the sensitive issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

A discussion on the Joint Statement is scheduled in the Lower House on Wednesday afternoon during which Singh will intervene.

The delinking of terror from the composite dialogue process and the reference to Balochistan in the joint statement have come under attack and the Opposition has even requested the President Pratibha Patil to intervene and give right advice to the government.

Singh's intervention has assumed significance in view of the fact that the Congress has so far failed to openly come out in support of him on the issue.

The Congress had thrown the onus on Singh in this matter with party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi noting that the party was confident about the Prime Minister setting at rest all apprehensions, speculations and doubts when he speaks in the Lok Sabha.

While three Congress members would participate in the discussion, party chief Sonia Gandhi's address to the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party scheduled the next day - July 30 - is expected to contain the Congress position.

.