ISLAMABAD – The government and the opposition on Thursday expressed unity to protect national sovereignty and pledged that no foreign power would be allowed to dictate Pakistan.
“It is a wrong perception that the US would dictate us when and where to launch operation… the nation will take a decision on this issue… the government will not compromise on national security and integrity,” Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said in the National Assembly while responding to a point of order raised by Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Gilani said the government took all political leadership and the top military brass into confidence when the military operation in South Waziristan, Swat and Malakand became inevitable. Calling the war on terrorism Pakistan’s own issue, Gilani said the deteriorating law and order was badly affecting the economy.
He said military operations in the past had not been conducted under any international pressure. On Nisar’s concerns about the US court’s summoning of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief and other officials, Gilani said he would soon issue a policy statement on the matter of the summoning of the ISI chief by the US court.
“No one can send them if they are not willing,” he said, adding that the ISI was a very important and sensitive institution of the country. On Shahzain Bugti’s arrest, Gilani said the interior minister would brief the House after taking input from the provincial government on the issue. He said there was foreign interference in Balochistan.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, Nisar said the Foreign Ministry should have reacted strongly to the US court’s decision of summoning the ISI’s serving and ex-chiefs. “Many people have reservations on the role of secret agencies. I myself have serious apprehension on agencies operations in the country but the summoning of ISI officials by a US court is against Pakistan’s dignity and sovereignty,” he added.
He said the US court’s decision was a political one meant to exert pressure on Pakistan, adding that the US government should itself contest its court’s decision for which precedents already existed. Citing reports of sudden departure of the CIA’s station chief in Islamabad, Nisar said, “We should be told under which law or on what understanding was he was operating in the country.
Has Pakistan become a Banana republic? Is ISI allowed to operate in Washington?” he asked. Nisar criticised the security agencies’ role in handling Shahzain Bugti’s case saying, “Shahzain Bugti’s manhandling incident would further charge the already angered Baloch against the federation,” adding that a similar approach of security agencies had caused creation of Bangladesh.
“Rein in these security agencies and do not allow them to look into policy matters,” he added.
