National Assembly: Briefing on Karzai trip, Syria urged
Opposition also demands update on LoC tension.
Opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The opposition in the National Assembly on Wednesday demanded that National Security Adviser to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz give a briefing to the house on a host of issues, including Karzai’s just-concluded Pakistan visit.
Its members then staged a token walkout from the house when the government failed to give a timeframe for such a briefing.
The opposition demanded that Sartaj Aziz take the house into confidence regarding the Doha talks with the Taliban, Line of Control (LoC) violations, the newly formed National Security Council and Pakistan’s stance over a possible attack by US on Syria.
Lawmakers also asked the government to inform the house about non-payment of salaries to employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills, steps taken by the government to tackle floods and justification for increase in petroleum prices.
“We want a briefing over Doha talks, tensions at the LoC, dialogue with the Taliban and status of National Security Council,” said Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah. Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Raza Rabbani also made similar demands from the government in the Senate.
Shah said, “We want to learn whether the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) has been renamed as National Security Council or if it’s a new entity and what its contours are. We know nothing except what is being told by the media,” he added.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s deputy parliamentary leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi endorsed the opposition leader’s demand, and said “UN inspectors [over the use of chemical weapons] are in Syria and the US is about to make a decision regarding an attack on it. We want to learn the government’s stance in case there is an attack,” he added.
In response, Defence Production Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said, “I assure this house that Advisor to PM Sartaj Aziz will take this house into confidence over the issues raised by opposition members.”
However, he added that it would be premature to brief the house on certain issues as the government was working on them.
After the justification, the minister tried to spell out the government’s stance on Doha talks but it could not satisfy the opposition.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said “the ongoing session would conclude by Friday and if the government arranges a briefing in next session, then all these issues would become redundant.” “We want Adviser to PM on National Security to brief the house in next 24 hours,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.
The opposition in the National Assembly on Wednesday demanded that National Security Adviser to Prime Minister Sartaj Aziz give a briefing to the house on a host of issues, including Karzai’s just-concluded Pakistan visit.
Its members then staged a token walkout from the house when the government failed to give a timeframe for such a briefing.
The opposition demanded that Sartaj Aziz take the house into confidence regarding the Doha talks with the Taliban, Line of Control (LoC) violations, the newly formed National Security Council and Pakistan’s stance over a possible attack by US on Syria.
Lawmakers also asked the government to inform the house about non-payment of salaries to employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills, steps taken by the government to tackle floods and justification for increase in petroleum prices.
“We want a briefing over Doha talks, tensions at the LoC, dialogue with the Taliban and status of National Security Council,” said Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah. Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Raza Rabbani also made similar demands from the government in the Senate.
Shah said, “We want to learn whether the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) has been renamed as National Security Council or if it’s a new entity and what its contours are. We know nothing except what is being told by the media,” he added.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s deputy parliamentary leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi endorsed the opposition leader’s demand, and said “UN inspectors [over the use of chemical weapons] are in Syria and the US is about to make a decision regarding an attack on it. We want to learn the government’s stance in case there is an attack,” he added.
In response, Defence Production Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain said, “I assure this house that Advisor to PM Sartaj Aziz will take this house into confidence over the issues raised by opposition members.”
However, he added that it would be premature to brief the house on certain issues as the government was working on them.
After the justification, the minister tried to spell out the government’s stance on Doha talks but it could not satisfy the opposition.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said “the ongoing session would conclude by Friday and if the government arranges a briefing in next session, then all these issues would become redundant.” “We want Adviser to PM on National Security to brief the house in next 24 hours,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.