Opposition Calls for Special Parliament Session Following India-Pakistan Ceasefire Agreement
Demand for Parliamentary Action
On Saturday, leaders from the opposition urged the government to convene a special session of Parliament following the recent agreement between India and Pakistan to halt military operations.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh emphasized the need for not only a special parliamentary session but also an all-party meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He suggested that this would allow the Prime Minister to engage with various political parties to safeguard national interests during this critical period.
Ramesh proposed that the special session could facilitate comprehensive discussions regarding the Pahalgam terror attack that occurred on April 22, as well as the developments over the subsequent 18 days, fostering a unified national response.
वाशिंगटन डीसी से आई अभूतपूर्व घोषणाओं के संदर्भ में अब यह राष्ट्रीय आवश्यकता बन गई है कि:
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 10, 2025
1. प्रधानमंत्री एक सर्वदलीय बैठक की अध्यक्षता करें और देश के राजनीतिक दलों को विश्वास में लें, ताकि इस संकट की घड़ी में राष्ट्रीय हितों की रक्षा सुनिश्चित की जा सके।
2. संसद का एक विशेष…
Congress leader Manish Tewari pointed out that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while announcing the ceasefire, indicated that both nations would engage in discussions on a wide range of topics at a neutral location, as reported by a news outlet.
Tewari remarked that this situation represents third-party mediation, suggesting that the bilateral approach central to the Simla Agreement of 1972 appears to be fading into history.
Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi shared a historical image of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi overseeing military forces, stating, “It is not easy to be Indira Gandhi.”
Later, Singhvi stressed the importance of fully capitalizing on any initiative rather than leaving it incomplete.
“Never half hang or half kill a person if he has harmed you,” the Rajya Sabha MP advised. “Either punish him fully or let him be. I wonder what benefits were gained from a three-day skirmish and, more importantly, I hope we have not squandered those gains with a hasty ceasefire.”
Tejashwi Yadav, a leader from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, also called for a special session of Parliament, where the government could provide detailed, chronological information regarding the terrorist incident in Pahalgam leading up to the ceasefire announcement.
Yadav expressed that such a session would allow citizens, through their representatives, to “show appreciation for the bravery of the armed forces” and convey a unified message to Pakistan, which he described as a “laboratory of terror.”
The ceasefire agreement aimed to resolve four days of heightened military tensions that began on May 7, when the Indian military conducted strikes—dubbed Operation Sindoor—targeting what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This action was a response to the Pahalgam terror attack that resulted in 26 fatalities on April 22.
In retaliation, the Pakistan Army engaged in repeated shelling of Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
On Thursday, Indian armed forces reported that they had thwarted attempts by Pakistan to deploy drones and missiles aimed at military sites in 15 towns and cities during the previous night. That evening, India announced it had successfully repelled multiple drone and munitions attacks along the western border.