Parliament adopts resolution against Indian aggression

 Khursheed Shah bemoans absence of PM Nawaz, his close comrades from joint session

Aitzaz Ahsan says he will do charity the day PM takes name of Kulbhushan Jhadav publicly

Sherry Rehman asks ruling Nawaz-League to learn foreign policy from Asif Ali Zardari

The joint session of both houses of parliament concluded on Friday with adoption of a unanimous resolution on the Kashmir issue and repeated ceasefire violations by India at the Line of Control (LoC), with Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) parliamentarians bashing the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for its inability to effectively carry forward the country’s foreign policy on Kashmir.

The resolution, presented by Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, condemned the use of force by the Indian army, expressed solidarity with the Kashmiris living in the occupied territory and called for the world community to take notice of the plight of innocent Kashmiris.

The resolution highlighted Indian atrocities in Kashmir, called for implementation of the UNSC resolutions, rejected Indian accusations of Pakistan’s involvement in the Uri attack and condemned Indian sponsorship of subversive activities in Pakistan. It also took notice of India’s efforts to isolate Pakistan diplomatically.

“Pakistan reiterates that it is committed to a result-oriented and meaningful dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, especially the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” the resolution detailed.

The resolution also condemned false Indian claims of carrying out a “surgical strike” inside Pakistan, and added that Indian spy Kulbhushan Jhadav was involved in spreading terrorism in Balochistan.

It called for resolution of the Kashmir issue according to the United Nations resolutions and a plebiscite in the occupied territory.

The seriousness of the federal government about the joint session could only be gauged from the fact that no senior cabinet minister was present in the House when the resolution was submitted to the joint sitting of parliament.

This non-serious attitude, analysts say, gave the impression that the federal government only wanted to (mis)use the parliamentary session to ward off opposition parties’ criticism over the Panamagate.

KHURSHEED SHAH POINTS OUT ABSENCE OF PRIME MINISTER:

Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah was caught napping as he failed to point out the absence of the prime minister and his close comrades from the session and he only raised the matter when half of the resolution had already been read out.

“It is unfortunate to see that the prime minister is not present in the House, nor does his senior ministers while this resolution is being submitted to the joint sitting,” he said, and argued what message the government was trying to send to the world.

Following the passage of the resolution, the PPP lawmakers took the government to task for failing to tackle the Kashmir issue properly.

AITZAZ TO DO CHARITY IF PM TAKES INDIAN SPY’S NAME:

Referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s UNGA speech where he failed to mention the Indian spy caught by military officials months earlier, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said, “The day Prime Minister Sharif takes the name of Kulbushan Jhadav publicly, I will donate Rs50,000 to the blind association.”

SHERRY REHMAN TAKES PM TO TASK OVER FOREIGN POLICY:

On her turn, former foreign minister Senator Sherry Rehman scathingly criticised the ruling party for what she called mishandling of the country’s foreign policy.

“Why are we not able to mount a serious, sustained, protracted defence of the federation of Pakistan. Kashmir is one of the most important issues for us in our foreign policy … You cannot build your foreign policy through one speech,” Rehman said, referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s UNGA speech.

Sherry also blamed the premier for failing to mention the Indian spy caught by military officials months earlier in Gwadar.

“If you don’t know how to carry forward our foreign policy, you may learn it from former president Asif Zardari who knows how to carry friends,” she asserted.

She also referred to the statement of Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval who said if there was another terrorist attack in India, Pakistan would lose Balochistan.

“Who is the NSA of India to say this?” she questioned. “How dare any Indian speak about destabilisation of the federation of Pakistan … One-seventh of India is constantly under insurgency. That is their internal matter. Why did you not bring this matter up?” the PPP lawmaker asked, addressing the prime minister who was not present in the session.

She said that India had made Pakistan appear responsible for terrorism before the whole world. “The US is already their ally. They have already started making bases there. Afghanistan is already blaming us,” she went on to say. “You have no interest in common with the super powers,” she added.

“Who is defending Pakistan? Our parliament is doing it. Our Army is fighting the largest inland war against terrorism in the world today and nobody knows about it,” she said. “This is a failure of your diplomacy,” she added to applause from the PPP benches.

Rehman also responded to the allegations of involvement by military in the foreign policy domain.

“The military should always be the last line of defence. The first line is the foreign ministry, the foreign minister and its ambassadors. The military’s job is to be standing there in the trenches. Do not make them do your job for you,” she warned the government, “Because that’s what they are being forced to do.”

“They have to give speeches; they have to take positions; they have to take journalists to the Line of Control for briefings. What have you done?” she questioned the government.

“You held a traditional ‘All-Parties Conference’. You didn’t even do a DGMO briefing. What are you afraid of? What will happen? Where is a vacuum, someone always fills it,” she argued.

Sherry Rehman also touched upon Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to suspend Indus Waters Commission talks after the Uri attack.

“On the Indus Waters Treaty, India touched that which hadn’t been touched in three wars. And this treaty is not a fair or just treaty with Pakistan. India has built dam upon dam. India has weaponised water. What answer did you give?” she asked the prime minister.

Senator Taj Haider, while addressing parliament, urged the government not to move back from its stance “even one millimetre from our point of view”.

“We have to voice very clearly that plebiscite in Kashmir is the only solution. We have to find a method to hold a free and fair plebiscite without any pressure on Kashmir,” he asserted.

FATA MNA Dr GG Jamal pointed out that a large number of officials of the armed forces were deployed to the western border for Operation Zarb-e-Azb. “The world should know that India, indirectly, does not want Zarb-e-Azb to finish. Indirectly, they don’t want terrorism to end, they are helping it,” he maintained.

Jamal said that India was diverting the world’s attention towards a war-like situation on the eastern borders of Pakistan so that state terrorism in Kashmir was forgotten.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha urged that while the UN resolutions were in place and the Kashmiris were sacrificing, “where are we lacking? Why is the world not paying attention to us”.

Expresing similar views, Senator Rehman Malik termed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “chief terrorist”. He also held India responsible for “exporting terrorism into Pakistan”.

Malik urged lawmakers not to isolate the Kashmir issue from the mega project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “What is happening right now is because of CPEC ─ certain world powers don’t want it to be successful,” concluded the former interior minister.

Meanwhile, PPP leaders strongly criticised PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s statement that the party should follow minus-one formula by removing former president Asif Ali Zardari. Aitzaz termed the statement of Imran Khan as disappointing.