Military offensive: PML-N, PPP retreat from pro-operation resolution
Govt decides not to table resolution after opposition declines support.
ISLAMABAD:
Days after the military claimed that a decision on an operation in militant-infested North Waziristan was the political leadership’s to make, parliament seems to have beaten a hasty retreat from the issue.
The government’s plan to pass a resolution in parliament, ostensibly regarding a long-anticipated operation in North Waziristan, met a farcical end on Tuesday – with the opposition first refusing to vote in favour of the move, and then the government refusing to put the resolution through despite having the numbers to do so.
The resolution, a copy of which was not made available to the media, seems to have been aimed at supporting an operation in North Waziristan. While Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) chief whip in the National Assembly later said that there was no mention of North Waziristan in the resolution, the comments of Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali seemed to indicate that there was some sort of allusion to the agency.
In any case, the resolution met stiff resistance on Tuesday when the main opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), rejected it and termed it a political stunt to “fool the nation”.
The government intended to move the resolution in the National Assembly in the wake of the attack on teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the former Taliban stronghold of the Swat Valley last week, being blamed on militants loyal to Afghanistan-based Taliban leader Maulvi Fazlullah.
On Tuesday, however, the opposition made it clear to the ruling coalition that it would not share ownership of a resolution before receiving guarantees of desired results from an operation in North Waziristan.
The move to block the resolution, which had already been shared with the opposition beforehand for approval, forced the ruling coalition led by PPP to hold back from moving the resolution, knowing it would be opposed by the PML-N. And even though the coalition has the numerical strength in the lower house to pass the resolution, it would have had to take complete ownership of giving the go ahead for such an operation.
“We wanted to have consensus over the issue, but we will not press you (the opposition) … however, it will not disseminate a positive message,” said PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah as he announced the government’s decision not to table the resolution.
“We do not want to divide the nation, therefore, will not table the resolution,” Shah said. Interestingly, Shah later said that In addition, he clarified that there was no mention of North Wazirstan in the resolution.
‘Fooling the nation’
“Take the house into confidence and spell out your policy in clear terms,” said Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar, questioning the logic of undertaking an operation against militant leaders such as Maulvi Fazlullah, “who were hiding in Afghanistan”. Nisar went on to censure the government for the non-implementation of as many as 12 unanimous resolutions in the past.
“The house has unanimously passed a resolution against weekly change in prices of petroleum products but the government did not pay any heed to it and changed prices after two days of its passage,” Nisar said, adding that using the attack on Malala as pretext for an operation in Waziristan was like “fooling the nation”.
Later in the proceedings, PML-N MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq directed some tough questions towards the government to justify his own party’s stance on the resolution.
“If the Swat operation was successful, then why has the army not been called back? Why is the civil administration not at the helm of affairs? Do you want the army to perform the role of police?” Rafiq asked rhetorically, adding that the PML-N would support the government if there was a guarantee that an operation in North Wazirstan would be the end of extremism in the country.
The debate eventually degenerated into a mudslinging contest between the PPP and PML-N. PPP’s Akhunzada Chittan walked out of the house when he was denied an opportunity to address the house. “Those people who know nothing about the region are delivering lectures,” Chittan said as he proceeded to walk out of the National Assembly session.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2012.
Days after the military claimed that a decision on an operation in militant-infested North Waziristan was the political leadership’s to make, parliament seems to have beaten a hasty retreat from the issue.
The government’s plan to pass a resolution in parliament, ostensibly regarding a long-anticipated operation in North Waziristan, met a farcical end on Tuesday – with the opposition first refusing to vote in favour of the move, and then the government refusing to put the resolution through despite having the numbers to do so.
The resolution, a copy of which was not made available to the media, seems to have been aimed at supporting an operation in North Waziristan. While Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) chief whip in the National Assembly later said that there was no mention of North Waziristan in the resolution, the comments of Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali seemed to indicate that there was some sort of allusion to the agency.
In any case, the resolution met stiff resistance on Tuesday when the main opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), rejected it and termed it a political stunt to “fool the nation”.
The government intended to move the resolution in the National Assembly in the wake of the attack on teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the former Taliban stronghold of the Swat Valley last week, being blamed on militants loyal to Afghanistan-based Taliban leader Maulvi Fazlullah.
On Tuesday, however, the opposition made it clear to the ruling coalition that it would not share ownership of a resolution before receiving guarantees of desired results from an operation in North Waziristan.
The move to block the resolution, which had already been shared with the opposition beforehand for approval, forced the ruling coalition led by PPP to hold back from moving the resolution, knowing it would be opposed by the PML-N. And even though the coalition has the numerical strength in the lower house to pass the resolution, it would have had to take complete ownership of giving the go ahead for such an operation.
“We wanted to have consensus over the issue, but we will not press you (the opposition) … however, it will not disseminate a positive message,” said PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah as he announced the government’s decision not to table the resolution.
“We do not want to divide the nation, therefore, will not table the resolution,” Shah said. Interestingly, Shah later said that In addition, he clarified that there was no mention of North Wazirstan in the resolution.
‘Fooling the nation’
“Take the house into confidence and spell out your policy in clear terms,” said Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar, questioning the logic of undertaking an operation against militant leaders such as Maulvi Fazlullah, “who were hiding in Afghanistan”. Nisar went on to censure the government for the non-implementation of as many as 12 unanimous resolutions in the past.
“The house has unanimously passed a resolution against weekly change in prices of petroleum products but the government did not pay any heed to it and changed prices after two days of its passage,” Nisar said, adding that using the attack on Malala as pretext for an operation in Waziristan was like “fooling the nation”.
Later in the proceedings, PML-N MNA Khwaja Saad Rafiq directed some tough questions towards the government to justify his own party’s stance on the resolution.
“If the Swat operation was successful, then why has the army not been called back? Why is the civil administration not at the helm of affairs? Do you want the army to perform the role of police?” Rafiq asked rhetorically, adding that the PML-N would support the government if there was a guarantee that an operation in North Wazirstan would be the end of extremism in the country.
The debate eventually degenerated into a mudslinging contest between the PPP and PML-N. PPP’s Akhunzada Chittan walked out of the house when he was denied an opportunity to address the house. “Those people who know nothing about the region are delivering lectures,” Chittan said as he proceeded to walk out of the National Assembly session.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2012.