ISLAMABAD – The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Friday rejected a proposed bill requiring the president to certify on an annual basis that no compromise had been made on the country’s nuclear programme and the country’s sovereignty. The bill called “Pakistan Sovereignty Act 2010” was moved by the PML-Q last year and was tabled in the National Assembly by PML-Q legislator Riaz Hussain Pirzada, who said it was in response to the US Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act, which was “intrusive” in nature.
The US law, which was meant to provide $7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over the next five years, was castigated by critics for certain conditions, such as annual certification by the US secretary of state to the Congress that the economic assistance had not been diverted to Pakistan’s nuclear programme. The draft of the bill tabled by Pirzada said the proposed law would protect and preserve the sovereignty of Pakistan. The proposed act was referred to the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee, which met behind the closed doors at the Foreign Office to scrutinise the bill and examine it thoroughly.
The committee’s meeting, which was chaired by Awami National Party President Asfand Yar Wali Khan, rejected the bill after detailed deliberations, saying the government officials, including the president was bound under the law to protect the country’s sovereignty and hence there was no need of the legislation. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who attended the meeting, also said that there was no need for any separate legislation. He said, “The government would never compromise on national security, including the country’s nuclear programme.” Qureshi said Pakistan would maintain minimum credible nuclear deterrence.
