Parliament opens debate on US ties today

A joint session of parliament will today (Monday) begin debate on new terms of engagement with the US and the decision on reopening of NATO supply routes.
The joint session would kick off with the address of the leader of the opposition, which would likely focus on the restoration of the NATO supply lines, drone attacks and ties with the US. The joint session is likely to continue for about seven days before voting on proposals about ties.
The session would hold a debate on the important issues including reviewing the foreign police, ties with the US, restoration of NATO supply, and the war on terror as well as drone attacks on Pakistani soil. This joint session is being considered as the most important in the history of Pakistan as it is for the first time that foreign policy will be reviewed by the representative of the people of the country. The Parliamentary Committee on National Security had sent its recommendation on the terms of engagement with the US a couple of weeks ago but the session was delayed apparently due to business of the government in internal issues and parliament in the legislation of the 20th Amendment.
However, official sources say persistent differences over key issues within the coalition parties and between the ruling as well as the opposition parties and voting on the proposed framework for the complicated partnership caused the delay. The PCNS recommendations had left some issues vague, like drone attacks, resumption of NATO supply and redlines the US is expected to observe.
However, later the government discussed all the vague issues with the military leadership as well as its coalition partners and a strategy was chalked out as how to table a resolution that could be smoothly passed through the parliament. After debating the issues in parliament, a resolution would be tabled for approval.
Opposition: Meanwhile, the opposition parties on Sunday said the government’s resolution based on the PCNS recommendations in the joint session of parliament would be supported if their suggestions were accommodated. The PML-N, the JUI-F, the PPP-S are united in supporting a resolution provided their suggestions are taken into consideration.
JUI-F spokesman Amjid Khan said the opposition would not support the resolution if their suggestions were ignored. “The head of our party was part of the PCNS… how can we oppose it when we recommended it? But if it is ignored, we would strongly oppose the resolution,” he said.
Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, head of the PPP-S and member of PCNS, did not comment on differences within the opposition over support to the resolution. However, he said a resolution based on the PCNS recommendations would be acceptable.
Sources privy to the opposition’s meeting held on Saturday said JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman seems to be under pressure from his competitors in Difa-e-Pakistan Council to at least publicly oppose such a resolution.