Nato supplies: National Assembly divided

Parliamentarians across the divide on Tuesday urged the government to take all political parties into confidence before devising its future strategy following the recent US drone strike. They, however, appeared divided on the question of blockade of Nato supplies.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers while taking part in a discussion on the situation in the Lower House after the killing of TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone attack, said that a dialogue is the only way out to deal with militancy. The JUI-F chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, said that he believed that now the convening of a fresh All-Parties Conference (APC) was necessary to find a way forward.
Opposing to what he said a PTI 'solo-flight' to block Nato supplies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from November 20, 2013, the Maulana said that the situation needed to be responded collectively and any step by a single political party would send a wrong signal across. He said that there existed no agreement between Pakistan and the US on Nato supplies to Afghanistan, adding that since the parliament had taken the authority from the executive and it, therefore, needed a fresh policy regarding the Nato supplies.
He appreciated the government's efforts towards peace process and said no hurdles should be created towards peace efforts. Referring to a lack of seriousness by the treasury benches in the House debate, he said that serious efforts were needed to cope with the situation by avoiding political point scoring.
He said only dialogue was the way forward to steer the country out of the current situation; adding that Islam has nothing to do with extremism and terrorism. He said there was a need to address the root causes of terrorism. Referring to the local bodies system being introduced by PTI provincial government in KP, Fazl believed that it would promote "NGO culture" in the province. Leader of Opposition Syed Khurshid Shah said the government and the opposition parties should sit together to find a solution to problem.
"It is the need of the hour to get united to send a clear message to the world that Pakistanis are an honourable nation and can defend the sovereignty of their country," he said, adding that his party extended its support to government's endeavours towards peace. Shah, however, criticised the "non-serious" attitude of government towards sensitivity of the situation. He said that the Prime Minister should take the House into confidence about the recent situation and his meeting with US President Barack Obama.
Shah also held the government responsible for a tense post-Hakimullah Mehsud situation by creating unnecessary hype. "Drone strikes took place in the past too, but such attack never generated such hype," he added. He said the opposition had mandated the government to hold a dialogue with the Taliban and added that it wanted to strengthen the country's democratic institutions and that it did not want to give a tough time to the government. He said that the people of Pakistan should give a unanimous message to the world that achieving peace is imperative for the country's progress and prosperity.
MQM parliamentary leader, Dr Farooq Sattar said that drone strikes should not be made an excuse to derail the peace process and noted that Taliban should also show large-heartedness. After all, he added, the government had committed to holding dialogue despite the fact that thousands of innocent citizens and personnel of security forces had lost their lives at the hands of Taliban. "The dialogue process must not be derailed anyway...even if another Taliban commander is killed or any politician or even the Prime Minister becomes a target during the process...this should be the spirit," he said, adding that cessation of drone attacks should not be a pre-condition for talks.
In a veiled reference to PTI's stance to block Nato supplies, he said he felt that if such a resolution came for vote it might divide the house. Sattar also criticised Jamaat-i-Islami chief for terming Hakimullah Mehsud a "martyr", saying a murderer of innocent lives must not be lionized.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmad of Awani Muslim League believed that as far as a befitting response to the recent situation was concerned all forces were not on the same page. "I challenge you [government] that all the forces are not on board," he maintained, urging the Prime Minister to become a 'genuine' leader to steer the country out of the present crisis. Referring to the recent Sharif-Obama meeting, he said the government was required to inform the House whether or not the US President had given an assurance that there would be no drone attack during peace talks. He also urged the Interior Minister to identify the composition of an Ulema delegation constituted to hold talks with Taliban.
Earlier, PTI's Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the government needed to share its line of action with opposition political parties. He said the parliamentarians should also be taken into confidence about the recent visit of the Prime Minister to the US.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Birjees Tahir assured the House that the Prime Minister and the Interior Minister would take the House on board regarding government's future strategy and the situation that developed after the recent drone attack.