PPP Senator Raza Rabbani. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
While backing the military operation in North Waziristan, the main opposition party in the Senate claimed that even the government was unaware of the offensive and was only notified about it through the army’s communiqué.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senators, who enjoy a majority in the upper house, took strong exception to the fact that the Nawaz-government did not take parliament into confidence before engaging the militants.
Qayum Soomro, the PPP senator, alleged that the “reason behind this laxity might be that even Nawaz-government was not aware of this decision and it was notified through an Inter Services-Public Relations’ (ISPR) press release.”
Soomro wanted to know why it took the government so long to decide on a course of action.
While supporting resolute action against extremist elements, Senator Farhatullah Babar asked why it was the military and not the civilian government that announced the operation.
Senator Raza Rabbani demanded an in-camera briefing on the issue by the concerned civil-military officials in a joint parliamentary sitting.
Responding to the opposition’s point of view, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Jaffer Iqbal said it was not an appropriate time to settle old scores but to show unity against the militancy for a peaceful Pakistan.
Balochistan National Party Awami (BNP-A) Senator Kulsoom Parveen, the PML-N’s Saeed Ghani, Awami National Party’s Haji Adeel, Ilyas Bilour, Abdul Nabi Bangash, Zahid Khan and Afrasiab Khattak, the PPP’s Taj Haider of PPP called upon government to divert its energies towards handling the IDPs.
The premier’s entry
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose body language during his address to the parliament was not like that of a man leading the country to war, read the same speech that he had earlier delivered at the National Assembly.
While reading a statement in the Senate, he said: “The Zarb-e-Azb operation will not end till all terrorists are eliminated.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 17th, 2014.
COMMENTS (19)
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I personally have no affiliation with any political parties in pk but what i do know is that the Pakistani people should support the Pakisatani armed forces and forget this silly parliament because nothing is ever decided there! Yes NS is not a leader he never has he never will, A leader needs courage like Mohammed Ali Jinnah and elegnace like Gen Ayub Khan but the fact of the matter is that Pakistan is at war we should always remember that we have been at war for the last 13 years. It may have not been our war but it is now, so you have to support the Pakistani Army. By the way has anyone seen the president hes bben missing for about a year if found please return to Mian Nawaz Shariff. Description in his early 70s, lost 70% of his has a trademark Amrish Puri Moustache.
@Known Fact: you indian troll
While I am hardly a fan of the current dispensation, all the opposition parties must stand as one man behind the government, and stop political point scoring.
India should also start a large scale militery operation in J&k as most of these terrorists will try to migrate from Pakistan to our side . Indian and Pak army should operate hand in hand to eradicate the menace of terrorism from entire Indian subcontinant and rest of the world .
Opposition parties miss no chance of criticism. They are doing baseless criticism. It is better to do some constructive criticism. Pakistan Zindbad Government and Armed Forces Zindabad.
There is complete coordination between government and army. I suggest people to please not write negative comments. This is not the time of politics. We all should unite to defeat the terrorists. We should provide full support and encouragement to government and army. No opposition party should do point-scoring.
Opposition: We were not taken on board. We came to know about about operation through T.V PM Nawaz: Me too came to know about the operation through T.V.
@Umar is it necessary that any person criticizing nawaz shareef is PTI Supporter. Imran who was against operation , is now supporting operation just to show unity. Now you guys please stop blaming him for every comment, every wrong doing of any opposition parties.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
@Usman: Now feeling happy thanks God. PTI please spare the country of your dirty politics now we are really fed up of your stupid comments.
Saeed Ghani belongs to ppp not pml-n
It`s a well known fact the Government is never taken into confidence by the Army. They force the Government to take ownership once things go wrong & when they are losing, remember Kargil. Musharraf ran to Sharif calling to take support of the US when India started using fighter aircraft and naval blockade..
I think the army must be able of winning this war as its the Army that trained the militants in the first place and know their tactics. The only case to lose this war is when sections of Army support the militants as there are many militant sympathisizers within the army itself.
Nawaz is not a leader, he's a business man. We have elected a banker to the post of PM, nothing else can be expected of him. He is indecisive, misguided, and will go through and make the blunders which he couldn't due to the 1999 coup. This time, Nawaz is here to show us his true self.
Opposition should not give such type of statements. We should back PM and army.
Operations should not just target nwa but all other places at the same time.
Wouldn't it be better to at least let the operation come to some sort of conclusion before applying more pressure on the government?
Pakistan is in the state of war and opposition is still doing politics. It is not good. If Operation becomes succeessful, entire credit will be given to Army. But if Operation fails, government will be held responsible. I think this is bad opposition.
It is good that the Army and PML (N) kept the operation and it's detail confidential for some days. Otherwise u would have the likes of PTI, JI, JUI-F and PPP interfering.
It's not possible to satisfy everyone - for government and army its better to keep on doing what they are doing and leave the rest to argue afterall for what they are here they had to do some thing.