Senators criticise govt Kashmir policy

Opposition protests late introduction of two ordinances

ISLAMABAD:

Opposition senators on Wednesday criticised the government’s Kashmir policy as the house concluded its debate on the presidential address to the joint sitting of parliament.

During the session, the opposition also protested against the introduction of an ordinances about Covid-19 and Article 89 of the Constitution, saying that the government had turned the country into an ordinance factory.

Speaking on the presidential address, Shery Rehman said that all political parties were united on the issue of Kashmir and coronavirus pandemic but unfortunately the government had not been able to take the opposition on board on either issue.

PML-N Senator Javed Abbasi said that the president’s speech was not a policy guideline. He accused the government of misusing the office of the president. He also criticised the government policy about the Kashmir issue. “What was Trump’s mediation? India ended the special status of Kashmir.”

Senator Sirajul Haq said that the Kashmir state had come to an end during this government’s tenure. He demanded of the government to sit down with the opposition on the issue of Kashmir and formulate a joint policy.

Leader of the House Dr Shehzad Waseem, while concluding the debate on the presidential address, said that for the last 40 years, two families had had the monopoly over politics in the country adding that breaking the two-party system in the country was the first victory of PTI.

He defended the Kashmir policy of the government saying that today, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and not Pakistan was isolated in the world. “Modi has also been removed from the Chahbahar [Iran] railway project,” he added.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Ali Muhammad Khan introduced an ordinance to amend Article 89 (2) of the Constitution and the Covid-19 Ordinance 2020. The opposition strongly protested against the late introduction of the ordinances in the house.

Senator Raza Rabbani said that the ordinance prohibiting hoarding during the coronavirus pandemic was issued on April 17, while the International Court of Justice ordinance was issued on May 20. These ordinances, he said, should have been presented in the previous session.

He said that 89 days had passed since the ordinance on Covid-19 was issued and now the members did not have the chance to present a resolution against it. That this ordinance was issued in the dark of the night.

He said the International Court of Justice Ordinance was issued on May 20. The ordinance said that any foreigner could file a review petition against a military court ruling. “I would like to ask why parliament was not given this important information,” he said.

The ordinance said that a review petition could be filed in the high court within 60 days, while 56 days had already passed. He sought explanation from the Foreign Office whether the Indian High Commission had filed any petition on behalf of convicted spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

He was criticised the Foreign Office’s announcement of restoring the Afghan transit trade through the Wagah border. He said that the announcement was made on the Kashmir Martyrs' Day. “Was it appropriate to announce this on Martyrs' Day?” he asked.