The proceeding of join sitting of the parliament was marred by opposition hide-and-seek with treasury members taking exception to the fiasco, accusing them of tactfully avoiding the debate. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman - visibly annoyed over the recommendations, did not even bother to attend the session.
Taking part in the debate, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid showered praise on the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) recommendations, terming these the best ever draft proposal. The PML-Q stalwart said that if they [opposition] had reservations, they should not have put their signatures when it was being given final touch as their members were part of the committee.
"First we were afraid of US and now we might be scared of boots...don't run away, come to the parliament [as] this is the time all the members of this house should play their due role by taking part in the debate of national importance", he maintained.
He said that Pakistan's ever powerful establishment which used to hijack civilian governments is no more in a position to play its tricks anytime soon rather its good days are gone forever. Referring to a high level meeting on Thursday regarding PCNS recommendations, presided over by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Mushahid noted that representative of ulema, government, military and opposition were present, so what was the harm in taking part in the debate in the house.
He warned that if decisions of such importance of national interest were not taken in the parliament, they could not find a way forward in a democratic world. Mushahid also claimed that the civilian leadership had a track record of taking decisions pertaining to national security in the past.
The 'Q' stalwart went a step forward and recalled that PPP leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started the nuclear programme of the country, which was completed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on May 28, 1998.
How can he forget his own leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. Mushahid said that it was Shujaat who refused to send troops to Iraq during Iraq war. This was not enough and he went on saying that late Benazir Bhutto took the bold decision to start the missile programme of Pakistan and for that purpose she herself went to Korea.
"This is what the civilian leadership had done in the past for security of the country, so move forward with courage and prove them that the civilian leadership has the guts and is capable enough to strengthen the national security," he maintained.
He said that Pakistan could help US to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. "We must not allow supply of arms to US through Pakistan or we encourage them to carry on with the war in Afghanistan," he added. He proposed to link opening of Nato supply route with drone attacks. "We must link it with drone attacks and tell them in case of any drone strike inside Pakistan, we will not allow US to transport its military goods through Pakistan", he added.
About Balochistan issue, he said that kidnapping of people and recovery of mutilated dead bodies from the province should not be allowed at any cost. Without naming the ISI, he said that even if an institution of national security was involved in the heinous crime, it should be made answerable before the court.
He also called upon the government that being a Muslim state as well as on basis of human sympathy, the children and widows of Osam bin Laden should be handed over to their home countries. "On one hand we are demanding release of Afia Siddiqui and on the other we have held the widows of OBL, which is a clear contradiction," he added.
Senator Saeed Ghani of PPP said that it was very strange to see that the people who had signed the recommendations, backtracked from their stance, which was beyond comprehension. "I don't know whether fighting war with the money provided by an infidel was right or wrong but I must say people who used to support US sponsored 'jihad' till tomorrow, have come out with their chest out that if Nato supply route is opened, they will stop it with might," he lamented.
Akhunzada Chithan of PPP termed the opposition stance only a mere political point scoring. The people who were in power in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa did not demand to block the Nato supply, he added. "Now they are out of the government and warning that they will resist any move to open Nato supply route...we all know who helped US in reaching in every household in Pakistan and who served them with care," he lamented. Senator Muhammad Khan Shirani of JUI-F, Senator Sehar Kamran and Abdul Malik of PPP also spoke. The house was adjourned to meet again on April 5.
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