Lawmakers set to bash US over allegations

After the All-Parties Conference (APC) held last week to discuss the ongoing Pakistan-US tensions, the National Assembly (NA), scheduled to meet today (Monday), will debate the security situation and challenges to the country amid angry rhetoric from parliamentarians from both treasury and opposition benches, who are expected to bash Pakistan’s ‘incredible’ ally – the US – as well as take the government to task for its failure to implement national security resolutions passed previously by parliament and its committees.
President Asif Ali Zardari had summoned the NA session for October 3 to discuss the national security situation on the advice of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. The session, being held following a series of allegations by senior US officials, will focus on the security situation and the challenges confronting the country.
It is expected that parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide will make fiery anti-US speeches with the prime focus of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) parliamentarians on economic independence. Apart from US-bashing and pledges of support for Pakistan Army from the lawmakers, the members of the Lower House would also raise questions about the implementation of the unanimous resolution passed by the APC.
NA Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, meanwhile, proceeded on a 5-day official visit to Malaysia, where she will hold separate meetings with the chairman of the Malaysian Senate and speaker of the Malaysian National Assembly and other leaders. Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi will act as speaker in her absence.
PML-N CWC MEETING: PML-N’s central working committee is also meeting on Monday in Punjab House to discuss the overall security and political situation of the country. The meeting will be chaired by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. “The meeting will discuss how the PML-N could ensure implementation of the APC resolution by the government. The party would also devise a strategy for the situation that might emerge if the government fails to honour its commitments to the political leadership of the country for the implementation of the security resolution in letter and spirit,” said a source in the PML-N. The PML-N parliamentary party will also meet at Parliament House in the afternoon with NA Opposition Leader Nisar Ali Khan in the chair.
PML-N Chief Whip Sheikh Aftab Ahmed said his party’s lawmakers would protest against power outages and increase in petroleum prices. “We will definitely condemn the US officials’ anti-Pakistan statements in the House… the government’s approach of neglecting security and other parliamentary resolutions will also be condemned by PML-N MNAs,” he added.
A source in the government said President Asif Ali Zardar and Prime Minister Gilani had told the foreign minister to be prepared to give satisfactory replies to parliamentarians’ questions vis-à-vis the country’s policy on the war on terror in the backdrop of US officials’ allegations against Pakistan and its military institutions.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE: The speaker will also constitute a parliamentary committee to monitor and ensure the implementation of national security resolutions in the same session, in line with the APC resolution.
The government is likely to face a tough time in the House because of the expected reaction from the opposition benches on power outages and the POL price increase. The PML-N has already submitted an adjournment motion against the increase in POL prices.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is also likely to protest against hike in petroleum prices and may stage token walkouts to win the people’s sympathy. On the other hand, a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader said the government might reverse the recent increase in POL prices completely or partially in case the opposition opted to “sabotage” the smooth running of House proceedings to protest against the increase in petroleum price. MQM MNA SA Iqbal Qadri said his party would submit an adjournment motion against the price increase on Monday (today).
The Karachi unrest, the top agenda in the last NA session, is expected to find less importance in this one after the government’s measures to improve law and order in the city. MNAs hailing from Sindh, however, are expected to complain about the slow speed of relief and rehabilitation work by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other aid agencies in flood-hit areas of the province.
The session is likely to proceed for two weeks, in which the recently approved Public Accounts Committee reports on the audit reports for the years 1990-91, 1992-93, 1994-95, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2008-09 and the monitoring and implementation annual report of 2010 would also likely be tabled in the House if their printing is completed within the duration of the session.