Joint sitting: PML-N to prepare ‘impossible’ counter-proposals for PCNS

Party chief issued directions to prepare a draft which mostly rejects recommendations.

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz plans on introducing its own proposals that will be impossible to implement, in order to counter the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), sources told The Express Tribune.

A joint sitting to debate the PCNS recommendations on fresh terms of engagements with the US will resume on Monday (today) and carry on for three days.

A high-level consultative meeting was held under the chairmanship of Nawaz Sharif at Raiwind, during which senior leaders briefed the attendees on the recommendations.

According to sources, the party leadership has constituted a three-member committee, under the leadership of Senator Rafique Rajwana and mandated it to prepare strict proposals, which will be impossible to implement.

According to sources, the PML-N’s demands include: to see copies of contracts former president Pervez Musharraf and the present government signed with the US, Nato and Isaf; that America should categorically inform its date of withdrawal from Afghanistan and that it should submit a commitment that after Afghanistan it would not attack Iran.

Sources said the committee would present this draft to other opposition parties as well. Furthermore, after ending their speeches the opposition plans to reject the PCNS recommendations by boycotting the session instead of voting against the resolution.

“Overall, the opposition on the floor of the house would give a categorical message to the treasury benches: Don’t use our shoulders,” sources added.

Sources added that Nawaz has discussed the draft clause-wise and personally issued directions to prepare counter-proposals which mostly reject the PCNS’ recommendations, so that he could later use them in his campaign for the next general election.

However, when asked to comment on his party’s strategy, Nawaz refused to disclose it and said that his party along with other opposition parties would present their point of view in the joint session.

Asked why PML-N leader Ishaq Dar had not mentioned his dissenting notes in the PCNS’ draft as he was a member of the committee, the party chief said that the code of ethics did not allow Dar to inform the media about his point of view. However, he added that Dar as a senior party member would comply with the PML-N’s decision.

Over the resumption of Nato supplies, Nawaz said that his party has taken a decision keeping in view public sentiments and hoped it would not disappoint the nation.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2012.