Opposition walks out over Baloch bungle

Pakistan rocks parliament again, BJP walks out

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha (LS) that the mention of Balochistan in the July 16 joint statement was a “unilateral reference” made by Pakistan. But the Opposition rejected his argument, and the BJP-led NDA MPs staged a walkout. Leader of the Opposition L K Advani asked why the government had failed to incorporate in the joint statement New Delhi’s stand that it had nothing to do with Balochistan.

The MPs of the Samajwadi Party and the Left parties too walked out alleging that the government’s response to the contentious issues related to the prime minister’s recent foreign visits was not satisfactory.

The prime minister on Thursday told the House that India would not resume meaningful dialogue with Pakistan unless Islamabad brought to justice the perpetrators and masterminds of the 26/11 attacks.