Senate session: Senators storm out, slam foreign policy

Senators Rabbani, Aitzaz call PM adviser a mix of ignorant and innocent.

ISLAMABAD:

A heated debate on Pakistan’s foreign policy in the Senate, which focused on the post-election situation in India and Afghanistan, stretched over many sessions and finally ended with the opposition staging a walkout.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz came under fire in Tuesday’s proceedings, first for the recent Foreign Office statement related to Dr Shakil Afridi and a phony polio vaccination campaign, and then for his own statements on the current trends in the country’s foreign policy.

The commenced motion by PPP Senator Raza Rabbani had triggered an altercation in the house. Before Aziz could speak, PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said that although he had tremendous respect for the PM’s adviser, it was not only astonishing but rather deplorable that there was not a single person in the entire government who could have been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs.

“Narenda Modi is likely to be elected India’s prime minister, Abdullah Abdullah will come to power in Afghanistan and both do not have a very good view of Pakistan,” said Aitzaz. The ‘malnourished’ foreign policy needs to be strengthened, he added.



A healthy foreign policy depends on a strengthened internal policy, Aitzaz said, adding that the government’s mandate, which was doubtful to begin with, was supported only for the sake of democracy and they did not want to derail the system like their predecessors.

In his defence, Aziz said he had only spent 11 months in office, which is not enough to make changes and strengthen the foreign policy. But the changes made to the foreign policy will go down in history, he added.

He mentioned the country’s policy of non-interference as a change. “It is our effort to convince other countries not to use Afghanistan as a zone for proxy wars, but rather compete via trade and development.”

The country’s geographical location was a liability until recent times, but its connectivity would be a game changer, Aziz explained. “I was not being stabbed in anyway,” he retorted.

According to Raza Rabbani, apparently the government lacks comprehension of the current geo-political realities. The government seems to be oblivious to the looming dangers, which was visible from the fact that only one other member from the government, apart from Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq, was present while Aziz spoke.

The continued attacks on security officials, incomplete dialogue with the Taliban and the US undersecretary reiterating ‘do more’ and ‘safe havens’ after his visit were all related to foreign policy, Rabbani said.

“The Foreign Office spokesperson has more information in comparison to what the adviser had to tell us today,” he said, rhetorically asking if Aziz considered the senators schoolchildren. “We cannot accept what you have said to be the policy statement from the government. It would have been better if you had declined to make a statement,” he said.

The opposition thought of pointing out the quorum and walking out, but since the subject was too serious, they had decided not to, said Aitzaz. However, the remarks of the adviser were ‘ignocent’ – an amalgam of innocent and ignorance, he quipped.

“What the adviser said was tantamount to violating the sanctity of the house,” said the PPP leader, while walking out in protest, followed by the rest of the opposition.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2014.