The National Assembly standing committee on foreign affairs on Friday rejected a private bill, 'Sovereignty of Pakistan Bill-2010,' expressing complete confidence in the foreign policy of the country.
The meeting of NA standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was held here at Foreign Office with Awami National Party's (ANP) chief Asfand Yar Wali Khan in the chair to review the proposed private bill 'Sovereignty of Pakistan Bill 2010' tabled by PML-Q legislators Riaz Hussain Pirzada Nosheen Saeed, Sheikh Waqas Akram and Dr Doniya Aziz.
The proposed bill to preserve, protect and assert the sovereignty of the country, was laid by PML-Q during eighteenth session of the National Assembly on Private Member Day January 12, 2010, which was considered and moved to the concerned committee for further consideration. The committee was of the view that moving of such bill was an unnecessary practice by PML-Q. "Government never compromised on the sovereignty of the country, so no to this bill," Asfand remarked.
The bill said that the sovereignty and dignity of the country should not be compromised in any manner as well as no compromise be made on security or effectiveness of the Nuclear Programme of Pakistan. The bill also demanded that no understanding should be reached with any foreign country for interference in the change of command or promotions in the Pakistan Armed Forces or in the structure or rule of the Security Forces of Pakistan.
Later on, briefing the committee, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that government never compromised on the sovereignty of the country as well as nuclear programme of Pakistan. "We always took decision in the interests of the country and presented our concerns over the sovereignty of Pakistan in an amicable way before international community," Qureshi maintained.