Pakistan Radio blames India for lack of progress on peace initiatives

Ferozepur (Punjab), Sep.6 : The Punjabi Darbar programme of Pakistan Radio seems to have run out of ideas. The latest Punjabi Darbar programme has blamed India of stopping the Samjhauta Express train, even though the train has been running regularly.

The Pakistan Radio has also blamed India for constructing barbed wire fence along the border. The scriptwriter of the programme for the Radio has perhaps forgotten that the barbed wire fence has been in existence for over two decades. It was erected to prevent smuggling along the International border.

People tune in to Radio Pakistan to find out the situation in Pakistan, which has been going through a period of turmoil for the last many months since the assassination of former Pak Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. But the Punjabi Durbar programme is silent on the internal issues that plague Pakistan.

Sukhwinder Singh, General Secretary Punjab Youth Congress, Ferozepur while reacting to falsehoods broadcast by the Punjabi Darbar programme, said that India has been a peace-loving nation and has fenced the border for preventing smuggling. "Pakistan should not have objection if we wish to take some precautions for our security purposes. We don't want to fight with anyone unnecessarily."

"In India, we never initiate acts of violence against any country. That is precisely the reason why we need to be careful against pranks played from across the borders. People of Pakistan and their Government should respect Indian sentiments. We have a soft corner for Pakistan which doesn't mean that they should take undue advantage of it," Singh added.

Speaking on the allegation of discontinuing Samjhauta Express, Singh said: "The Samjhauta Express was stopped long ago because of the situation in Pakistan."

While the Sarpanch or, village head of the Barika village said Pakistan keeps on misleading people in India.

"We have fenced the border to protect ourselves. Earlier, it had come to our notice that Pakistan was trying to smuggle drugs into the India which was spoiling our youth in Punjab," said Ran Singh, the village head of Barika in Ferozepur.

Pakistan can use the drugs themselves, though we wish the Pakistani young men well, he said.

ANI