Leader of the opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's criticism on President Asif Ali Zardari's visit of the US is uncalled for and untenable, said a statement issued here Tuesday by PPP spokesperson Farahatullah Babar. While the leader is within his rights to express his views on the outcome of the president's visit, he must not deviate from some basic facts.
President Asif Ali Zardari's visit was a huge success both in terms of the Friends of Pakistan's pledge to stand with Pakistan by providing it economic assistance and the assurance by President George Bush and world leaders to respect Pakistan's sovereignty, added the statement.
The President explicitly represented the wishes of the nation while talking to the world leaders. His strength drew from the fact he held talks with various leaders and addressed the UN General Assembly as a democratically elected president of Pakistan, unlike General Pervez Musharraf, the statement said.
It is therefore wrong to say that President Zardari adopted his predecessor's policy. Musharraf never raised even a meek voice to protest against attacks on Pakistan's sovereignty, whereas President Zardari not only took up this issue but also told his audience that no lectures should be administered to Pakistan on the ways to counter militancy in its areas, the statement added.
President Zardari thus put forward an unmistakable Pakistani policy to deal with militancy in the tribal areas, the statement said continuing, as for parliament, President Zardari has urged parliament to hold in-camera briefing on the issue of terrorism. Chaudhry Nisar should have waited for the parliamentary briefing and discussion, it added. Chaudhry Nisar's casting aspersions on President Zardari's meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is invalid, because he did not step back from Pakistan's stance that the people of Kashmir's wishes should be taken into account.