Blockade politics: Parliament to decide on NATO supplies, says PM
Before his departure for a nuclear summit in Seoul, the prime minister spared a few minutes to make jibes at the opposition.
At the Chaklala airbase on Sunday morning, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, while refuting the opposition’s claims on the suspension of Nato supplies, said that the blockade was the government’s decision and there was no dictation from any side.
Pakistan blocked the Nato supply route after an airstrike on the Salala checkpoint on November 26 killed 24 soldiers.
“If the opposition thinks that we discontinued Nato supplies under their pressure, then they are wrong. We decided to block the supplies after discussing it with the Defence Cabinet Committee.”
A consensus will be evolved among all stakeholders and the decision on whether to reopen the supply routes will be taken by Parliament unanimously, he said. Gilani will represent Pakistan at the second nuclear security summit beginning in Seoul on Monday (today).
Accompanied by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Pakistan’s envoy to the United States Sherry Rehman, the premier reached the South Korean capital later in the day. Gilani said the talks at Seoul’s nuclear summit will focus on how to further protect nuclear weapons.
The prime minister said that in light of the worsening energy crisis, Pakistan needs access to civil nuclear technology. “Demanding civil nuclear technology is not a sin. It’s our requirement.”
He said nuclear technology is important for Pakistan in order to remain at par with India and to promote regional stability.
Talking about his agenda for the meeting with US President Barak Obama, Gilani said that the meeting will be crucial to the future of Pakistan-US ties.
Some 54 leaders from across the world will be in attendance at the moot to discuss nuclear security and safety.
Meanwhile, while talking to media in Seoul, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China and chief negotiator for the summit Masood Khan emphasised that “Pakistan has very successful experience of using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and generating electricity”.
(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2012.
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@MarkH: Acquiring and using nuclear technology for peaceful purpose is the right of Pakistan just like any other country in the world.
@Cautious: You are blind in Pakistan bashing. There is only one small Nuclear Plant in Karachi that was built in 1970s and has completed its operational age but still functioning at 30%. Rest Power Plants are running up to their capacity with one under construction.
He lacks something important. The rejections aren't because people don't want you to have power. So, it's fairly pointless to rely on that as the argument. What needs to be addressed is why the concerns involved in the rejection should no longer be of concern. It's like anything else. Just because you want it and feel you need it, it doesn't mean you'll get it. Since they're not obligated to do anything, the argument lies in saying why they should change their mind.
I suppose Pakistan has a different definition of the word "successful" than the rest of the World - I recall your nuclear plants are in extremely poor shape being down over 70% of the time. You don't have the money to properly decommission/shut them down let alone repair/run them at a reasonable capacity.
Then one has to ask why would the POTUS have a meeting with the PM of PAK