Multipronged strong response required to isolate Pak globally: Congress

New Delhi [India], Sept. 18 (ANI): Coming down heavily on Pakistan for the Uri terror attack, the Congress on Sunday said a multipronged strong response is required to completely isolate Islamabad globally. "A multipronged strong response is required which will completely isolate Pakistan globally. Also, I don't think anybody can dispute the fact that the perpetrators direct and indirect overt and proxy must be made to bleed and suffer and realize the cost of what they are doing," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told ANI. "It makes my blood boil if I find that Pakistan or terrorists gloating over the death of 17 of our brave jawans. In particular, my blood boils because it appears that they were virtually killed while sleeping because the tents caught fire. It's tragic that they have become collateral damage because of fire," he added. Singhvi said the time has come when India has to take very strong and punitive steps to minimize the numbers if an attack is inevitable. "The time has of course come long ago to expose Pakistan every day with detailed dossiers of identification and markings to isolate it and shape it internationally," he added. Resonating similar sentiments, another Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI that the government should sit back and introspect what it should do and what is the menu available to calibrate a response to the latest terrorist outrage. "Pakistan has been perpetrating a proxy war against India for the last 36 years. Their philosophy of bleeding India with a thousand cuts is not dissipating in any manner. So, therefore rather than the usual knee-jerk reaction that we will isolate Pakistan, Pakistan should be declared a terrorist state, the time has come for the Indian establishment to seriously think through the menu of options that we have qua Pakistan," he added. At least 17 soldiers were killed in the gun battle at the base, which is around 100 km from state capital Srinagar. Combing operations are currently underway to ensure no untoward element still persists in the Army perimeters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack and assured the nation that those behind this despicable attack will not go unpunished. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers and said those behind this terror incident would be brought to justice. The Home Minister also apprised Prime Minister Modi regarding the deliberations of the security review meeting held at his official residence this afternoon. Singh has instructed Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and other senior Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials to closely monitor the situation in the valley. (ANI)