ID :
23755
Fri, 10/10/2008 - 19:42
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/23755
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Pak opposition demands summoning Musharraf to Parliament
Islamabad, Oct 10 (PTI) Pakistani lawmakers are still looking for answers from the top intelligence brass on reasons for an upsurge in terrorist violence in the country and have suggested summoning former President Pervez Musharraf to explain the terms and conditions agreed upon with the U.S.
For this they have demanded another elaborate briefing from the Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I.) brass, which the government has fixed for Monday.
The lawmakers are insisting on knowing whether there is any apparent secret understanding to allow U.S.-led coalition forces to carry out missile attacks and strikes on Pakistani soil bordering Afghanistan.
There were still question marks on whether the government would accede to the demands for summoning Musharraf before the joint session.
The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (P.M.L.-N.) parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, called on the government to summon Musharraf to the session to tell the parliament about the "rules of engagement" agreed upon with the U.S. in the war on terror which Pakistan entered during his regime.
Khan said his party did not participate in Thursday's question-answer session as it was not satisfied with the format of the briefing.
"We want parliament to be briefed on an umbrella strategy to replace the existing (anti-terror) policy," Khan said.
Meanwhile, Interior ministry chief Rehman Malik, a top leader of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (P.P.P.) and a key aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, will brief members of the National Assembly and Senate during Monday's session in a second briefing by civilian officials.
The in-camera joint session of parliament, called by
Zardari to evolve a homegrown anti-terror policy through
consensus, has so far been briefed by Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja
Pasha, the Director general-designate of the powerful I.S.I.
However, all opposition groups have expressed
dissatisfaction with the briefing and the "quality of answers
to their questions", the Dawn newspaper reported today forcing
the government to arrange another briefing on Monday by
interior ministry chief Malik.
The opposition is also expected to give suggestions for a
new strategy for the war on terror on Monday, the third day of
the special session.
The lawmakers said they wanted more information about the
government's policy for the war on terror rather than military
tactics. Gilani assured them that Malik would give a briefing
about the policy for participating in the war on terror.
Sources privy to Thursday's question-answer session in
parliament told the Daily Times newspaper that Lt. Gen. Pasha
had "avoided answering those questions concerning government's
war on terror policies and whether former president Musharraf
had inked any secret agreements with the U.S."
The sources said there were also no concrete answers to
questions about who was financing the Taliban.
Most questions raised by parliamentarians "remained
unanswered" and Pasha kept on "expressing his inability to
answer questions concerning government policies on the war
against terrorism", they said.
Senior P.M.L.-N. leader Ahsan Iqbal said his party wanted
to know the government's objectives and choices in the war as
also the terms and conditions under which the government had
joined the U.S.-led war, but "Pasha's briefing was all about
military tactics".
For this they have demanded another elaborate briefing from the Inter-Services Intelligence (I.S.I.) brass, which the government has fixed for Monday.
The lawmakers are insisting on knowing whether there is any apparent secret understanding to allow U.S.-led coalition forces to carry out missile attacks and strikes on Pakistani soil bordering Afghanistan.
There were still question marks on whether the government would accede to the demands for summoning Musharraf before the joint session.
The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (P.M.L.-N.) parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, called on the government to summon Musharraf to the session to tell the parliament about the "rules of engagement" agreed upon with the U.S. in the war on terror which Pakistan entered during his regime.
Khan said his party did not participate in Thursday's question-answer session as it was not satisfied with the format of the briefing.
"We want parliament to be briefed on an umbrella strategy to replace the existing (anti-terror) policy," Khan said.
Meanwhile, Interior ministry chief Rehman Malik, a top leader of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (P.P.P.) and a key aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, will brief members of the National Assembly and Senate during Monday's session in a second briefing by civilian officials.
The in-camera joint session of parliament, called by
Zardari to evolve a homegrown anti-terror policy through
consensus, has so far been briefed by Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja
Pasha, the Director general-designate of the powerful I.S.I.
However, all opposition groups have expressed
dissatisfaction with the briefing and the "quality of answers
to their questions", the Dawn newspaper reported today forcing
the government to arrange another briefing on Monday by
interior ministry chief Malik.
The opposition is also expected to give suggestions for a
new strategy for the war on terror on Monday, the third day of
the special session.
The lawmakers said they wanted more information about the
government's policy for the war on terror rather than military
tactics. Gilani assured them that Malik would give a briefing
about the policy for participating in the war on terror.
Sources privy to Thursday's question-answer session in
parliament told the Daily Times newspaper that Lt. Gen. Pasha
had "avoided answering those questions concerning government's
war on terror policies and whether former president Musharraf
had inked any secret agreements with the U.S."
The sources said there were also no concrete answers to
questions about who was financing the Taliban.
Most questions raised by parliamentarians "remained
unanswered" and Pasha kept on "expressing his inability to
answer questions concerning government policies on the war
against terrorism", they said.
Senior P.M.L.-N. leader Ahsan Iqbal said his party wanted
to know the government's objectives and choices in the war as
also the terms and conditions under which the government had
joined the U.S.-led war, but "Pasha's briefing was all about
military tactics".
