Security situation dominates debate on President's address

Senator S. M. Zafar of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has called upon all the political parties to evolve a charter of security by setting aside Charter of Democracy (CoD) to cope with the current unrest and security concerns threatening the very existence of the country.
Taking part in the ongoing debate on President's address to joint session of parliament in Senate on Tuesday, he said that we are running short of time and delay in this regard would be suicidal as history will bear witness to it and the coming generations will never forgive the present ruling elite.
He was of the view that the government should establish its writ first in Malakand division, then think about implementation of Nizam-e-Adl regulation.
A new theory is being touted internationally that if the writ of the government is not established in the region, then its sovereignty becomes doubtful, he said, adding that US drone attacks might convert this new theory into a doctrine. He proposed to establishment of a commission to arrest the killers of Nawab Akabar Bugti. "Bugti was a personal friend of mine and I had pleaded many cases for him in the court", he added.
He said that CoD could not be given the status of constitution as it is a document signed by two political parties. "There are so many good things, which we must endorse but some of its clauses are controversial and no co-operation will be extended in this regard", he maintained.
He said that President Zardari missed some important things during his speech to the joint session of the parliament. The president, he said, did not speak about the problems of the poor as minister for planning stated a short while ago that over 50 million people are living below poverty line.
The most embarrassing situation, he added, for most of the parliamentarians was that when President Zardari winded up his speech without mentioning the name of father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He said there was no mention of corruption in the President's speech, while it is a fact that corruption was rampant in all spheres of life.
Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar said there is no mention of women rights in Nizam-e-Adl regulation, which are enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan. "I have worked in Swat and other parts of NWFP as a women rights activist and aware of the problems faced by the women folk in NWFP", she added.
She went on saying that there are so many controversial clauses in Nizam-e-Adal regulation, which need to be explained as they have by-passed some tiers of judiciary.
"What sort of regulation is this as women in the areas, where it is being enforced, will not be allowed to work and earn a living", she questioned. She demanded that a committee comprising women stakeholders from all political parties, civil society and Islamic University should be set up for the protection of women rights in Swat and Malakand.
Raja Zafarul Haq of PML-N said that the government should call a conference of ambassadors serving in other countries and brief them about the problems being faced by the country. "The government should call an envoy conference and brief them how to present the soft image of Pakistan abroad", he added.
"I had served as an ambassador for a very short period in Egypt and know about diplomacy a little bit", he added. The envoy conference would be helpful as most of the diplomats are unaware of the recent happenings in the country, he said, adding we should set our foreign policy direction right and should not be afraid of sanctions. "I went to Iran when US imposed sanctions on Pakistan in 1998 for conducting nuclear tests and there I met Iranian President. He congratulated me and said that it is a blessing for Pakistan. You will see as a result of these sanctions, Pakistan will work hard and emerge as a prosperous country on the global map", he recalled.
Senator Farah Aaqil lauded the Balochistan package but demanded that a package for NWFP should also be announced. She said the government should revise its policies for taking the country out of troubles.
Taking part in the debate, Senator Jehangir Badar of PPP eulogised the sacrifices of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto for the cause of democracy. If we are sitting in the parliament today, he said, it is because of the sacrifices rendered by PPP. "When Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, the law and order situation in the country was worse. Benazir laid down her life for democracy and uplift of deprived segments of society", he added.
"When Benazir Bhutto was assassinated there was a political anarchy and conflict among the provinces, but it is President Zardari who brought back the angry politicians to mainstream," he maintained.
He said that President Zardari apologised to the Balochis to save the federation only. "It was not our fault. PPP had not harmed Balochis, despite this president apologised for the sake of the country", he added.