In the first sitting of 13th session of the National Assembly on Monday, the leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, supported the government for the military action in Swat, Dir and Malakand districts with the concern that his party was not taken into confidence before it was launched.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a key ally of the government, however, disowned the government's decision and walked out of the House, blaming the government for taking the action on US pressure. Member of all the political parties announced that they would give their one month's salary to the relief fund for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in his lengthy speech, said that his party would oppose all the external and internal forces challenging the writ of the government or violating the sovereignty of the nation whether they were Taliban or the US forces.
The opposition leader said that his party has a lot of reservations on the recent military operation in Malakand division but it would support the government and military for the sake of peace and national security. "The government did not take us into confidence while striking the peace deal with militants led by Sufi Mohammad and also kept us in complete dark while taking decision to launch the ongoing offensive in these restive areas," he said.
Chaudhry Nisar also expressed his dismay over the President's visit to the US, saying that he miserably failed to raise the real concerns of Pakistan against the frequent drone attacks within the territorial boundaries of the country.
He also pointed out that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton invited country's elected President Zardari to sit on her left and Afghan "puppet" President on her right, giving the impression that Pakistan was less important at an international level.
He added that all the decisions taken during the President's week-long visit to the US are strongly in favour of the superpower. About the military operation, the opposition leader said that government should not take such serious decisions in haste and quoted a saying Winston Churchill that "Declaration of a war is a serious business which should not be made in haste".
"Even a right decision could not be fruitful if it is taken at a wrong time," he maintained. "We never opposed the then peace deal of the government with the militants neither we are opposing this military operation for the sake of national unity," he remarked.
Nisar said that the issue is not so simple and the government should inform the nation and the august House about the measure it is taking to handle the situation in the aftermath. He added that government should avoid contradictory statements on the security situation.
At this stage, he said, we need to evolve a joint strategy not only against Taliban but also against the US forces, who time and again violate our national sovereignty. He proposed the setting up of multi-faceted parliamentary committees for consensus on national policies in all the sectors.
Later speaking in the House, JUI chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman strongly opposed military operation in Swat and termed this operation "an action against the supremacy of the Parliament." He said that government should have followed the path of negotiation to resolve the issue.
He said that despite being a coalition ally, his party was not taken into confidence on the peace agreement with Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi nor over the military operation in the area. Despite this, he said, the JUI supported the government to enforce the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation for the cause of achieving peace and stability in the country.
He said the parliament had unanimously passed a resolution during in-camera briefing on security that the issue would be resolved through peaceful means and dialogue. Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman questioned the decision to launch the military operation in Swat when the parliament had declared the policies of the previous government with regard to extremism and terrorism 'wrong.'
He expressed concern over the fate of displaced civilian population in the area. He condemned the drone attacks and said these are violating the integrity and sovereignty of the country. "If it is justification for the military operation that the militants are challenging the writ of the government then what about the drone attacks. Are these not challenging the writ of the state? The government took a wrong decision on wrong time," the JUI-F chief observed.
Later, Fazl-ur-Rehman staged walkout from the assembly in protest over the military operation, saying "I announce dissociation with the government on this decision." Later, he rejoined the House when Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and some ministers successfully persuaded him to end his protest.
The Prime Minister later told the House that he had tried to contact the Maulana but he and his brother were not available as they were out of the county. PML-Q lawmaker Engineer Amir Muqam said that government should ensure provision of adequate arrangements, including transport facility to the civilians who want to leave Swat and other areas of Malakand division. He also demanded of the Punjab government to provide shelter to IDPs in the government buildings in Attock, Texila and Rawalpindi.
Aftab Sherpo said that operation is not the solution to the problem and government should take the influential persons of the restive areas into confidence and call an All-Parties Conference in a bid to settle the issue through peaceful means.