Parliamentary Committee on National Security while fully endorsing all decisions of federal cabinet taken in aftermath of November 26 Nato strike decided on Friday to work out new terms of engagement with the United States.
The three-hour long closed-door session of the panel which met under the chairmanship of Senator Raza Rabbani was also attended by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Manzoor Wattoo, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdaus Ashiq Awan and senior officials of the relevant ministries.
Director General Military Operations Major General Ashfqaq Nadeem briefed the panel on the November 26 Nato attack on two Pakistani border posts at Jalala, Mohmand Agency. He also responded to various questions raised by members regarding several aspects of the Nato attack and the preparedness of the armed forces to respond to any sort of foreign aggression.
Briefing media persons after the meeting, the minister for Information and Broadcasting said that the committee endorsed all decisions including boycott of Bonn Conference, suspension of Nato supply lines and Shamsi airbase vacation of the federal cabinet and its defence committee. She said the Prime Minister who briefed the penal regarding all steps taken by the government so far following the November 26 incident, also took the committee into confidence on framing new terms of engagement with the US and its allies.
In this regard, the Prime Minister urged the committee members to immediately finalise recommendations on new terms of engagement, which should later be presented before the joint session of the parliament for approval. On Bonn conference, she said it was decided not to attend the conference at all levels. "The committee endorsed all decisions of the federal cabinet and its defence committee, which means neither Foreign Minister nor Pakistan ambassador to Germany will attend the [Bonn] conference," she added.
To another question regarding directives issued by army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani to respond to any foreign aggression with full force, the Minister said the committee also endorsed the instructions given by the army chief. Awan said the meeting was held on a single item agenda - Nato/Isaf attack - and the controversial 'memo' did not come under discussion. She said that the DG military operations will also brief the federal cabinet on the Nato attack after 10th Muharram - likely on December 12.
Meanwhile, informed sources said a separate meeting of the committee will be convened on the 'memo' issue after Muharram. The panel will again meet on December 08 (Thursday). In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister said that these dastardly attacks in the dead of night cannot but be construed as a grave infringement of Pakistan's territorial frontiers by Nato/Isaf and definitely compel us to re-visit our National Security paradigm.
"These attacks also have serious implications for regional peace and security," Prime Minister's House quoted the Prime Minister as saying. He said the Parliament represents not only the will of the people of Pakistan but, in every respect, is also the custodian of Pakistan's supreme national interests.
Briefing the meeting on the salient developments, Gilani said that the midnight US/Nato/Isaf attacks on two Pakistan Army posts in Mohmand Agency were well inside the Pakistani territory. He said the hostile actions against these border posts continued for over an hour. The co-ordinates of these border posts were already known to Nato/Isaf, he added.
In fact, minutes after the attacks, Gilani said that Pakistan military authorities contacted the US/Nato and Border Co-ordination Centre, adding that the co-ordination mechanism remained ineffective and relief and reinforcements sent from the nearby Pakistani posts also came under attack. He said the government strongly condemned these attacks, which violates the principles of the UN Charter and international law. "We also conveyed to the United States and Nato that these attacks were totally unacceptable and constituted a flagrant breach of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he told the panel.
Pakistan's redlines, ie, no infringement of Pakistan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, had been made abundantly clear to the United States, Nato and Isaf, he pointed out. "We also conveyed, in no uncertain terms, to the United States and Nato that these attacks would have consequences," Gilani added. He also informed the committee about the Defence Committee of the Cabinet's decisions, which reiterated the resolve of the Pakistani people and the armed forces to safeguard country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity at all cost.
He said the DCC also decided to ask the US to vacate the Shamsi Airbase within fifteen days and in this regard, he added, a notice has already been given to the US. In addition, he said that DCC also decided that the government will revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes, activities and co-operative arrangements with the US/Nato/Isaf, including diplomatic, political, military and intelligence.
While wishing the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan success, Gilani said the Cabinet decided that Pakistan should not participate in the Bonn Conference due to the prevailing circumstances. He also told the panel that the Pakistani Missions abroad have also sensitised the international community and the Foreign Minister established contact on telephone with US Secretary of State Clinton as well as the Foreign Ministers of Turkey, the Russian Federation, China, Germany, United Kingdom and Italy, among others. Gilani added that he also conveyed Pakistan's concerns to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Afghan President Hamid Karzai who telephoned him on 28th and 30th November respectively.
He further said the US and Nato have also conveyed to Pakistan that they have ordered investigation into the incident. "Given the gravity of the situation, it is imperative to undertake a holistic review of National Security and the future of our co-operation with the United States/Nato," he added.
Gilani told the panel that "first and foremost, our national interests are supreme", adding that all policies, positions and actions should conform to safeguarding and advancing of Pakistan's national interests. "The safeguarding of Pakistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity is a sacred national duty. Under no circumstances can this be compromised - no matter what the costs," he said, adding that security and stability and ensuring the prosperity of our people are among our foremost priorities.
Regional security and stability and good relations with all neighbours is important, he said, adding that Pakistan, as a responsible member of the international community, attaches utmost importance to respect for the principles of the UN Charter, norms of inter-state conduct and international law.
"The terms of engagement with the United States and Nato/Isaf have to be re-visited on the basis of sovereign equality, mutual interest and mutual respect," he said. Gilani made it clear that Pakistan does not seek aid or economic assistance from the US. "What we seek, in fact demand, is respect for our sovereignty and territorial integrity; a firm and categorical commitment on "inviolability" of Pakistan's borders and on non-recurrence of such incidents," he said.
He said that elimination of the menace of terrorism requires a comprehensive approach, as signified by our 3-Ds (Dialogue, Development and Deterrence), adding that our security and counter-terrorism policy needs to be pursued in a manner that suits Pakistan's national interests. Gilani also regretted that Pakistan's willingness to cooperate with the international community on counter-terrorism has not been understood in its proper perspective. The notion to give Pakistan a "to do" list and the mantra of "do more" have caused immense resentment, he remarked.
On drone attacks, he said that Pakistan continued to protest against the drone strikes, which are clearly illegal and counter-productive. "We have also been subjected to numerous cross-border attacks by militants from sanctuaries and safe havens in Afghanistan," he maintained.
"Under no circumstances, will we allow Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity to be jeopardised by ill-considered and rash actions such as the attacks on our territory by Nato/Isaf," he said, adding that our patriotic people and valiant Armed Forces will spare no sacrifice in the defence of their motherland.
He told the panel that instructions have been issued to all units of the Pakistan armed forces to respond, with full force, to any act of aggression and infringement of Pakistan's territorial frontiers. He said that our nation, as a whole, and all state institutions are fully united and determined in their resolve to uphold national dignity and honour and to frustrate and defeat any nefarious designs against Pakistan. Gilani, however, said that Pakistan, as a responsible state, was ready to make its indispensable contribution to regional peace and security, in particular to support an inclusive process of national reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan.
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