Opposition parties on Monday called Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s address to the parliament over the Abbottabad incident a “jugglery of words”, saying Gilani’s address after a week’s silence had only “undermined the nation’s confidence” further. The opposition parties were of the view that the PM failed to brief parliament on why the US breached Pakistan’s sovereignty and why was it killing innocent people in drone attacks.
Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said the PM’s speech was a “jugglery of the words” and keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, the PML-N had convened its CEC meeting today (Tuesday) to discuss the future plan of action vis-à-vis the country’s sovereignty. JUI-F Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said it was the responsibility of the government to protect the life of citizens, but it had failed to do so.
Senator Kashmala Tariq said time had come for the nation to be informed about the facts behind the Abbottabad incident. PML-N’s Haneef Abbasi said Gilani failed to satisfy the House with his speech. Marvi Memon of the PML-Q said the ruling PPP, through its Interior Minister Rehman Malik, was trying to turn the US attack inside Pakistani territory into a political issue. PML-N’s Khurram Dastagir said, “Being the head of the armed forces, it was the responsibility of President Asif Ali Zardari to protect the life of the people ……but he had failed miserably.”
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said the PM’s address was nothing more than an effort to further confound the existing confusion. Instead of responding to serious queries boggling the nation since the past week, the prime minister indulged in worthless polemics, and multiplied the doubts that arose over the security and sovereignty of the state.
