MPs denounce ‘attack on Pakistan’s image’

“It is about time we developed a national security policy,” says MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar.

ISLAMABAD: Amid calls for a national security policy, the National Assembly on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attack on foreign climbers near a base camp to Nanga Parbat in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.

“This is a deliberate attempt to undermine Pakistan’s image internationally, so as to portray it as an unsafe place for foreign tourists,” said the resolution moved by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the deputy parliamentary leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Sunday’s shooting was described as one of the worst attacks on foreigners in a decade.

It called upon the government to “immediately take necessary measures against these anti-state elements and re-assert the professional capacity of the security and intelligence set-ups and ensure greater coordination among them.”

The parliamentary leaders of all major parties supported the resolution which was passed unanimously.

Qureshi said the incident underlined the need for a national security policy and called for a mindset-change in order to deal with terrorism. He said the ulterior motive of the perpetrators was to defame and damage the image of Pakistan internationally.

“A message should go from this house,” Qureshi said as the government let the opposition move the resolution in order to send across a unanimous message over the issue. He said the recurring acts of terror at the time of withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan pointed to the designs of anti-Pakistan elements.

The opposition leader in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah, said there would not be politicking over the issue and stressed the need to tackle the menace of terrorism. He supported the idea of brainstorming at the lower house to devise a counter-terrorism strategy.

Awami Muslim League’s (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed blamed the ‘Indian-influenced forces’ for the attack and called for evolving a mechanism for talks with militants to save the country.

Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai, however, urged the need for joints efforts against the menace of terrorism and said “we should not surrender to them [terrorists]”.

“It is about time we developed a national security policy,” said Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar. He also underscored the need for collaboration among the provinces and the federal government and proposed that an all-party conference be held to develop a national policy.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2013.