Opposition parties and allies of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the National Assembly on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction over "ambiguous and unclear" policy statement of Defense Minister Khurram Dastgir on foreign relations, especially with regards to the US, Afghanistan and India. Leaders of the opposition parties as well as JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said the government has not spelled out a cogent foreign policy in wake of US President Donald Trump's tweet on first day of the New Year.
Giving a policy statement on the floor of the House, the defense minister said that the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for last 16 years but failed to achieve the targets. He said Pakistan should not be made a scapegoat for the US failures in Afghanistan, adding that the way forward for Pak-US relations should not be through threats, notices and suspension of support. The minister said that Pakistan has suffered a huge loss in the war against terrorism as an ally to the United States.
Pakistan has to face economic loss and damage to lives and property of the citizens. "The suffering has been immense and painful and it is unfair by the US to blame Pakistan when it has not been able to pacify the situation in Afghanistan," he said. He said around 43 per cent of Afghanistan region was beyond the control of its government but Pakistan respects the sovereign state of Afghanistan as a neighboring country. The minister said that Pakistan has cleared safe havens of terrorists from the country and Afghan war could not be fought on Pakistani soil.
Dastgir said that Pakistan considers Afghanistan as a sovereign neighbor who shares abiding bonds of history, trade and culture. He said Pakistan respects the sovereignty of Afghanistan and wishes to see its neighbor a prosperous democratic state but Pakistan would like this courtesy to be reciprocated. Talking about India, he said that Indian forces committed more than 1,300 ceasefire violations in 2017 at Line of Control which resulted in 52 deaths and caused injuries to 175 persons. "Just today, our four valiant soldiers embraced martyrdom in unprovoked firing by Indian forces. The nation salutes to these martyrs and prays Almighty Allah to grant fortitude to their families," he said.
The minister said that Indian government has accelerated Pakistan bashing as a highly militarized and belligerent neighbor. The case of Kulbhusan Jadhav was proof of Indian efforts to create unrest in other countries, he added. Dastgir also said that India has been involved in grave human rights violation in Occupied Kashmir. He said that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state and it would continue with its policy of full spectrum deterrence in line with the policy of credible minimum deterrence and avoidance of armed race. He said the government would face with vigor and commitment the growing challenges to Pakistan's security and maintain strategic stability in the region. He said Pakistan's defense is robust and country's vigilant and highly trained armed forces continue to protect and defend its land, sea and air borders. The defense minister said Pakistan has initiated new talks and military exercises with Russia. He said Pakistan has also revitalized relations with neighboring countries.
He said Pakistan's relations with China are getting stronger day by day and being materialized on many fronts. He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project is the symbol of strong bond between the two countries. In response to the minister's policy statement, Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Naveed Qamar said the minister has mentioned nothing new in his policy statement as these things have already been published in newspapers and magazines. "Let us have a stable approach. We need more clarity from the government on foreign policy," he said, adding the Parliament is supreme and it should have its role in formulation of the foreign policy.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member Dr Shireen Mazari also termed the minister's policy statement as vague and unclear, adding the US has stopped Pakistan's military assistance but "we are welcoming their security officials here." She said that there have also been contradictions in statements on the foreign policy coming from General Headquarters, Foreign Office and foreign minister. "If any foreign policy exists, it should be spelled out with clarity and force," she said. Mazari said the Parliament should formulate the country's foreign policy instead of the General Headquarters, urging the government to block logistic support for the US troops deployed in Afghanistan. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that political instability in the country has been affecting the economy negatively, urging all parliamentary parties to get united to formulate the foreign policy in the Parliament.
"Statements are not policies as ambiguity still exists in the policy statement of the minister," he said, adding that the whole nation stood behind the government following Trump's tweet, but "they are unaware of behind the scenes deals with the US." Fazlur Rehman said that the government and the Parliament have not given a clear-cut policy on Kashmir to be pursued by the Kashmir committee.
PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that all state institutions have been on a mission to block the way of Nawaz Sharif instead of focusing on other issues of national importance. "All efforts are being made to keep the Constitution and democracy subservient in the country," he said, "if you will not take us on board regarding the country's foreign policy, you'll be responsible for all the failures," he warned. MQM-P member Sheikh Salahuddin, Jamaat-e-Islami member Sahibzada Tariqullah and PML-N member Shahabuddin also spoke on the issue. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry presented half yearly report of the Federal Investigation Agency with respect of its activities as required under section 53 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab tabled a report on biometric verification machines and electronic voting machines pilot project in by-elections as required under section 103 of the Elections Act, 2017.
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