File photo of PTI Chairman Imran Khan at a press conference. PHOTO: WASEEM NAZIR/EXPRESS
As the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly is set to meet today to review the killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief and closure of Nato supply routes, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government is likely to enjoy the backing of opposition parties.
This will be the third session called in an emergency in the past month. Previously, two sessions were requisitioned by opposition parties to discuss the All Saints Church attack and the assassination of K-P law minister Israrullah Khan Gandapur respectively. The opposition-requisitioned session, which concluded on October 31, was also used to pass two important legislations, namely the Right to Information and Local Government bills.
However, today’s session has been called by the government after PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s announcement to block Nato supply lines passing through K-P. A resolution to this effect is likely to be tabled in the assembly.
One of the leading opposition parties, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) is likely to decide its course of action by today, JUI-F spokesperson Haji Jalil Jan told The Express Tribune.
According to Awami National Party leader Sardar Hussain Babak, by calling a session to discuss drones and Nato, PTI was conveying a message of solidarity to the Taliban. The government failed to call an assembly session following the twin suicide blasts at All Saints Church or after the murder of Gandapur but it was calling one now, emphasised Babak.
Cutting off at Karachi or Peshawar?
Soon after PTI came to power, the government and opposition parties failed to reach a consensus over drone attacks and Nato supplies. At the time, the opposition disagreed with the government’s suggestion to stop supplies in Karachi, a city not within K-P’s jurisdiction.
Since PTI forms the government in K-P, it does not need to convene a session to stop the movement of Nato supplies through the province, pointed out the ANP parliamentary leader. Earlier, when opposition parties had asked PTI to bring forward a resolution on the same issue, the party vacillated by asking to close the supply route in Karachi, he added.
However, Babak continued, now opposition parties will hold consultations before making a decision and will review the resolution draft which the government is presenting on Monday.
“We will support the PTI resolution since we feel that this is a matter of national interest,” stated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Arbab Akbar Hayat. A third force is bent on sabotaging the peace process as the Taliban have denied previous attacks, added Hayat.
However, he cautioned against shifting any blame to the PML-N government at the centre. related story on page 14
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th,2013.
COMMENTS (15)
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Last time you embargoed NATO supply line what did you achieve? Did you stop drones? Did you get abject apology? Did you get dramatic increase in transit fee? Did you improve your World image? Nope. Perhaps the relevant question is Did You Learn Anything?
@Sohaib Irshad: Thanks for your comments but I have my facts correct. $1.6 bn is the money to be released under Kerry-Lugar bill (which includes civilian and military aid). The money that you are calling as so called "rent owed" comes from the Coalition Support Fund.
The US is providing money for the validation exercise of Bhasha Dam's feasibility study - some $200 million. Hence this is money that the Pakistan government will be receiving from the US. I never spoke of stopping progress on the dam but only refusing the money.
The whole point, in case you missed it, is to highlight how double faced Pakistani policy is towards the west. To be thundering against the US while at the same time pocketing billions, doesn't make much sense (not from the government at least). But then in Pakistan, there's not much that makes sense anyway (at least not to people outside Pakistan).
Does PTI have any legality in interfering in the GoP's foreign policy decisions? Or the Ulema and judges? Are they all not overstepping their responsibilities in an extremely mad manner which will harm the nation's interests? When will good sense prevail?
OBL deja vu. You never learn.
@ibrahim: You still thinking about ANP my friend? Even after Asfandyar Wali allegedly sold out KPK to America for 35 million dollars?
anp is politically very weak on ground. Without alliances they will not be in power for the next 20 years.
@Fahad: Come on grow up man. These big shots are far away from reality.
Aah. Here come all the "well informed" Indians who think all root of evil is pakistan. I love listening to your "well-written conspiracy theories" guys. keep it up. The article was nice though. The only thing ET needs to improve on is covering both sides of a story. You guys, more then often just cover one point of view. Like in this article, the ANP spokesman took most of the space. Anyways, I hope you guys publish this and take some positive criticism.
@Sandip Check your facts Sandip. $1.6 bn are sanctioned for THE SERVICES ALREADY rendered by our LEAs and government. Its a rent they owned and they have released it after A LONG time
IMF help is the only way out and pulling out requires some wisdom which our federal government does not possess.
Bhasha Dam construction was already approved years ago and stopping it would have not effect since all the technical and monetary assistance is already sanctioned.
And for the suggestions you have put, we will be fighting US citizens not the US government. Blocking supplies is the only way to register a protest. We can stop them permanently but that will be against all the norms just as drones are!
Every story that has "a third force" or something to that effect is automatically a lie.
They still insist on believing the Taliban denials.Why become apologists for the murderers of your own people.The resolution could still be discussed and adopted without extolling the enemies of the state.
If the Pakistani government so strongly believes (as evidenced by the Interior minister's speech) that the US conspired to destroy peace in Pakistan, instead of playing to the gallery and spewing vitriol, how about some more substantive steps? For e.g, how about refusing the $1.6 bn that the US recently sanctioned? How about refusing IMFs help? How about refusing US money for Bhasha dam's feasibility study? How about withdrawing your request for GSP+ status in both US and EU (since NATO is the force operating is Afghanistan, not just the US)?
If you could do these few things, it would have a bigger impact in Washington DC, Brussels as well as the EU and the US public, than the stopping of US containers.
And if you really want to be spiteful to the US, how about immediately sanctioning $1.5bn towards the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline? Let's see you do all this instead of giving these meaningless big talk. I am absolutely sure, Mr. Imran Khan would support you with all his followers.