Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) sources claimed on Tuesday that in spite of condemning the NATO air strike on Pakistan Army’s checkposts that killed 24 soldiers, ministers in the cabinet meeting avoided direct criticism of the US and focused on targeting the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for violating international laws and trespassing Pakistan’s borders.
They said most of the time the ministers adopted a careful attitude towards criticizing the US. The sources said further that many ministers were of the view that the matter should be discussed in the Upper House of parliament before bringing it into a joint sitting, but no one stressed on the proposal.
The sources also said most of the cabinet members stated that no deviation should be made on the decision of evacuating the Shamsi airbase and stressed upon the implementation of the defence committee’s decisions in true spirit.
The sources claimed that ministers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were in the mood to discuss the current national political situation but kept mum because of the sensitive situation at the meeting.
The federal government, at the eleventh hour, changed its mind to give a briefing to reporters and twice the programme of the briefing was changed. Reporters who had reached Governor’s House, where the meeting took place, were returned with the declaration that the briefing had been cancelled and news about the meeting would be issued through the Press Information Department and official media.
NSC to take up NATO strike, memogate on Friday
Islamabad: Parliament’s special committee on national security has been summoned to meet on Friday, December 2, to discuss the attack on Salala check post by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), as well as the memogate row. According to sources, the Senate secretary on Tuesday notified that the session would be held on Friday. Following the national security committee, a joint session of the parliament would also be summoned to take up the findings of the national security committee on the NATO strike and memo controversy, enabling both the houses of the parliament to make recommendations to the government to decide the future course of action on both contentious issues. Staff Report
