Parliamentary review process
The long-standing Pak-US relationship has seen what could be called its ups and downs, but the current low, in the aftermath of Salala check post attacks, has brought to a halt almost all the cooperation Pakistan was extending to the US and Nato forces in Afghanistan. After the PCNS presented its recommendations after a parliamentary review process, it was the Cabinet Committee on Defence’s turn to discuss the issue and offer its insight.
The DCC, the country’s prime forum on defence related matters, just met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani to formulate clear policy parameters on which to lay the foundation of relations with the US. Despite being the supreme powerhouse in a democratic setup, parliament cannot function independent of a sitting government. And what better forum than the DCC, in our case. The composition of the committee makes it an ideal platform for the task at hand.
The parliamentary review process has offered the government a unique chance to pitch its demands to the public, thus making the public own the decision. Along with the public, the political and military leadership is also on board with the decisions. It is in this perspective that the DCC has to make its decisions. Working at the behest of the government, its decisions are likely to be considered final, and final they should be. The review process, as important as it is for both the countries, needs to be finalised and new terms and conditions for a lasting relation must be communicated to the US.
To be fair, the demands suggested by the PCNS do carry a lot of weight and insight into how the politicians, the only true representatives of the public, want to see this relationship work. From territorial integrity to taxing Nato supplies, all issues have been discussed. But there is a need to finalise these suggestions and discuss them with the US. Any further delay in this regard is only going to hurt both the countries on the war on terror front. And that’s something both ought to avoid.
