ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday pushed the Pakistan People’s Party and its allies into a catch-22 situation when it asked the ruling alliance to respond to the slogans against continued US drone attacks in the Tribal Areas, with an “oblivious” Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani keeping himself busy in signing files put up by parliamentarians.
During NA proceedings on Thursday, PML-N’s Khwaja Saad Rafique asked the ruling alliance to joining the sloganeering against drone attacks during a speech by Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch on the presidential address to the National Assembly. Put in a be or not to be situation, the ruling allies kept silent while the prime minister remained busy in signing various applications, giving an impression that the government was not ready to condemn the US act.
Saad was of the view that if the government did not endorse US policy of drone strikes, it must join the protesting PML-N. Baloch warned the government that the US strikes inside Pakistani territory could provide a base for a national campaign. He said worsening law and order had led to a flight of capital from the country and demanded the government unveil “characters” that made the release of the US national Raymond Davis possible.
He also criticised the government for corruption in state institutions, including the Benazir Income Support Programme. On a point of order later, Saad said his party was ready to support the government if it was serious in evolving a strategy to resolve the issue of drone attacks. His comments were followed by a PML-N walkout from the House over “no actions or policies being devised by the government for the putting a halt to drone attacks, ban on Geo Super TV channel, price hike, target killings in Karachi and the hike in petroleum prices”.
Taking part in the debate on the presidential address to parliament, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao expressed concern that militants were extending their writ in the suburbs of Peshawar. He said around 1,120 schools had been destroyed in Swat since terrorism engulfed the country.
He told the House that the hotel industry in Swat had almost shut down due to security concerns and criticised the government for not taking a saner decision on the issue of target killings in Karachi. Syed Asif Husnain of the MQM also condemned US drone attacks, saying they were against the integrity and prestige of the country, adding that the government lacked stable policies that were the need of time.
