Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif made a forceful demand on Saturday to bring the armed forces and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) under civilian control, saying parliament should have absolute power to see and approve both institutions’ budget. Nawaz bared his fangs at both while addressing a press conference at his residence in Raiwind, despite consensus among political parties and the civil society to protect the army and ISI from international propaganda and avoid criticising the esteemed institutions at such a critical juncture. “The intelligence agencies should not break the country’s laws, and that it is not their job to pull down governments and form political alliances,” said Nawaz, adding that the agencies had nothing to do with foreign policy or ties with the US and India, which was the responsibility of the elected government.
He demanded that those responsible for the US raid be uncovered, and warned that if the government delayed the formation of an independent investigation commission in line with the parliament’s resolution on the Abbottabad operation, his party was set to devise the next line of action in a few days. Hours before the press conference, US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter had a meeting with Nawaz to discuss the Abbottabad operation, Pakistan-US ties and the role of the army and ISI in the country. Nawaz said he had conveyed to Munter that unilateral action was unacceptable.
Nawaz expressed surprise and dismay at the news that a US drone had flown from within Pakistan.
He said sit-ins should be staged in front of the houses of those who had allowed drone attacks, instead of blocking roads in Peshawar and Karachi. He demanded that all accords made by former president Pervez Musharraf with the US and other countries should be brought to parliament immediately. He alleged that during the in-camera session of parliament, the government was not ready to form the investigation commission, and drone attacks had not been mentioned in the resolution.
