ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties Sunday said that the government’s resolution based on PCNS recommendations in the joint session of the parliament would be supported if their suggestions were accommodated.
PML-N, JUI-F, PPP-S are united to support a resolution provided their suggestions they had suggested to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.
JUI-F Spokesman Maulana Amjid Khan said that the opposition would not support the resolution if their suggestions were ignored.
“Our head of the party was part of the PCNS, how we can oppose it if we recommended it. But if that were ignored then we would strongly oppose the resolution,” he added.
The PCNS had not bound the government on restoration or stoppage of the NATO supply rather it had left choice of the supply restoration or continuation of the blockade open to the parliament, subject to the debate. And Chairman of the committee in his debate urged the US to seek apology for Salala attack, which had killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November.
Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, head of PPP-S and member of PCNS, did not comment on impression of differences within the opposition over support to the resolution. However, he said that a resolution based on the PCNS recommendations would be acceptable.
Sources privy to the opposition’s meeting held on Saturday told this scribe that the JUI-F head, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahman seems to be under pressure from his competitors in Defa-i-Pakistan Council to at least publicly oppose such resolution.
The parties, whose representation in the parliament are nil but can attract votes of a particular section in the society over strongly opposing any restoration of the supply are JI, JUI-S and few other small parties.
Sources close to PCNS said that restoration of the NATO supply is not as important for Washington as supply is going on in one way or the other and ISAF also have sufficient stock for next few months. “Rather the issue of drone attacks is important for them as the US forces have only one advantage over the militants and that is technology,” they added.
The sources also informed that the opposition parties want a resolution based on the recommendations of PCNS but then in details they are divided. Sources inside the ruling PPP told Online that the government would never commit the mistake to disfranchise the parliament and opposition parties would be taken into confidence over any resolution. “Their concerns would be accommodated.”
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on so many occasions has said that executives had voluntarily empowered the parliament to decide the foreign policy and the it would never be happy to take the powers back again. Online
