Senators in the Upper House of parliament on Wednesday put a big question mark on the credibility and capability of both the civilian and military leadership of the country as they debated the Abbottabad incident with an advice for the government of either to honestly stand with those fighting terrorism or withdraw its support on the issue.
The House suspended routine business to discuss the incident which the senators believed stigmatised the credibility of the nation as a whole. Senator Hasil Bazenjo said the entire Abbottabad incident had put a big question mark on the credibility and capability of civilian and military leadership of the country. “Who will answer the queries of the common man when the leadership is mum on the Abbottabad incident,” he asked.
“You (Pakistan) have been exposed as the world’s biggest liar as the most wanted man on the US list of terrorists was from the ‘gates of Kakool academy’,” Bazenjo said. “It is high time we take a decision either to honestly stand with those fighting terrorism or say good-bye to the much-touted war against terrorism,” he advised the leadership, adding that a paradigm shift in the Pakistan foreign policy was needed to pull the country out of the crisis.
He also criticised the prime minister for going ahead with his plan to visit France under the circumstances, adding that no one amongst the civilian leadership was ready to respond to US statements on the incident. JI Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmad condemned the US action inside Pakistan as an act of war against Pakistan. “It is a failure of the intelligence agencies of the country… it is a failure of both civil and military leadership as well,” he added.
He believed the government’s policy vis-à-vis war on terror was dual and source of shame for the whole nation. Criticising the US policy on the war against terrorism, Professor Khurshid said the world was now asking “which is the greater threat, 9/11 or the response to 9/11”. He feared that the US in a similar act, could deprive Pakistan of its nuclear assets. He also condemned the statement of the information minister made in the House in which she said the US acted per its stated policy on bin Laden.
Senator Khalid Soomro also criticised the civilian leadership of the country, saying the president was inducting a new brigade of ministers in the federal cabinet at such a critical time. He believed the Abbottabad incident was a “drama staged to ruin Pakistan”. He questioned why had the US not shared details and footage of the operation? “The US has made an excuse in the shape of the incident to accelerate drone attacks inside Pakistan,” he added.
He feared that Pakistan’s integrity was at stake and added that India could also take liberty to undertake such an act inside Pakistan against ‘terrorists’. He underscored the need to review foreign policy to get rid of the US. Senator Haji Adeel also lambasted the government for having failed to secure the country’s integrity. He alleged that some people in religious and political parties were abetting terrorists.
JI Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmad condemned the US action inside Pakistan as an act of war against Pakistan. “It is a failure of the intelligence agencies of the country… it is a failure of both civil and military leadership as well,” he added. He believed the government’s policy vis-à-vis war on terror was dual and source of shame for the whole nation.
Criticising the US policy on the war against terrorism, Professor Khurshid said the world was now asking “which is the greater threat, 9/11 or the response to 9/11”.
He feared that the US in a similar act, could deprive Pakistan of its nuclear assets. He also condemned the statement of the information minister made in the House in which she said the US acted per its stated policy on bin Laden.
