Opposition Leader in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would not endorse the Parliamentary Committee on National Security’s (PCNS) recommendations on Pakistan’s foreign policy and terms of engagement with the US in war on terror without a firm guarantee from the government that it would implement the decisions of the parliament in letter and spirit.
Speaking on a point of order, Nisar demanded a “proper guarantee” to implement the PCNS’ recommendations. “We should be informed about the unanimous resolutions previously passed by the parliament on national security,” he said, adding that the PCNS report had been kept secret and asked the chair to adjourn the joint sitting for two days, as the PML-N needed time to consult other parties over the matter. He said his party had serious objections over some contents of the report and would raise them in the House. “For example, it says at one place that there should be prior permission and transparency on the number and presence of foreign intelligence operatives in Pakistan. No country in the world allows foreign intelligence operatives to operate on their lands, then what is the meaning of transparency … it means we are allowing them to operate,” he added. Nisar demanded guarantee from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government that it would not backtrack from the foreign policy recommendations passed by the parliament. “This House should also be informed about past MoUs signed between Pakistan and the US, as this relates to the national security,” he said. The opposition leader said that drone strikes had stopped for a few months after the Salala checkpost incident, but had resumed again. “The deputy air chief had told an in-camera joint sitting of the parliament after the Abbotabad raid that they had the capability to shoot down drones. Then what bars them from doing so,” he asked.Opposition Leader in the Senate Ishaq Dar proposed that an in-camera session of the parliament be held if the MoUs were sensitive in nature. PCNS Chairman Senator Raza Rabbani endorsed Dar’s proposal and asked the chair to hold an in-camera session for briefing on such sensitive matters for the parliamentarians.PML-Quaid’s Ameer Muqam also sought time to go through
the recommendations.