Rabbani rejects proposal for NAP briefing on May 2

PPP leaders also call for parliament session on PM’s recent statement about terrorism in Iran

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani has rejected the government’s proposal to brief the parliamentary leaders on the National Action Plan (NAP) and once again demanded that such briefing should be given to a joint session of parliament.

“Briefing only parliamentary leaders on NAP is deplorable. If a joint session cannot be called then two separate sessions should be held. However, as a member of parliament, I have every right to the briefing which I won’t surrender,” Rabbani said while taking the Senate floor on Thursday.

Rabbani was responding to the Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Swati, who earlier told the house that the government has once again called a meeting of parliamentary leaders on May 2 to brief them on implementation of NAP adopted in 2015 to curb terrorism and militancy.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, on the directive of Prime Minister Imran Khan, had sent letters to the leaders of parliamentary parties on March 18, inviting them to a briefing on NAP at the Parliament House on March 28.

However, the meeting was cancelled after major opposition parties declined to attend the session. The government had formally initiated the process of consultations on NAP implementation with opposition parties in mid-March in the wake of a crackdown against proscribed outfits.

Talking with reference to the premier’s recent statements about terrorists using Pakistani soil against Iran, Rabbani said: The PM didn’t issue clarification of his statement. In such a condition, the parliament’s joint session should be called.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan condemned the recent killings of security forces’ personnel in Balochotan and said it was a painful incident.
Alluding to a recent statement of Prime Minister Imran Khan about Germany and Japan sharing borders, he said many people in the ruling party needed lessons in geography. He said the foreign minister said the Balochistan attackers came from Iran while the PM says terrorists go from Pakistan into Iran.

He also hit out at the Interior Minister Ijaz Shah for his recent statement about some opposition politicians about to get ‘chittar’ [thorough beating] soon. “Chittar is not a good tradition and the present circumstances do not warrant it.”

Earlier, the upper house observed one-minute silence in memory of the victims of Sri Lanka blasts on Easter. The house also passed a unanimous resolution expressing condolences over loss of nearly 350 lives in Sri Lanka. Leader of the Opposition Raja Zafar-ul-Haq tabled the resolution.

Leader of the House Shibli Faraz termed terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka a great tragedy and said, "We strongly condemn the terrorist attack and the elements involved in such a barbaric incident should be given exemplary punishment."

Haq while condemning the cruel incident said the entire nation stands by the people of Sri Lanka. The house extended its heartfelt condolences to the people of Sri Lanka. The lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches expressed their sympathies to affected families.

The house also offered Fateha for the departed souls of those martyred in various terrorist attacks in Balochistan, Peshawar and New Zealand.