NW operation: PML-N fails govt move to get parliament's approval
17 October, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday opposed the government's move to get approval of parliament for a military offensive against terrorists in North Waziristan Agency.
The government was prepared to table the resolution in the assembly but refrained to get it approved from the Lower House after the PML-N did not support it on the pretext that the government had not implemented previous resolutions passed by parliament.
The PPP-led government wanted to bring the resolution in the wake of last week's assassination attempt on Malala Yousufzai in Swat Valley. Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's Mullah Fazlullah took responsibility for the attack.
PPP Chief Whip Khursheed Shah declared that the government would only move the resolution once it reached a consensus. After this announcement the deputy speaker deferred the session for an indefinite period.
Shah said, "The government doesn't want to divide the nation, therefore, will not table the resolution."
Opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan criticised the government for non-implementation of as many as 12 unanimous resolutions. "We had supported the government in larger interest of the country," he lamented.
While rejecting the government's resolution, Nisar referred to several statements by ministers that Mullah Fazlullah had orchestrated the attack on Malala.
"Take the House into confidence and spell out your policy in clear terms," Nisar said as he pointed out that military operation in Swat had not yielded any of the desired results. He said that launching of military operation on the pretext of Malala attack was like "fooling the nation".
"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," he said.
In response Shah said, "it is not a matter of attack on a girl (Malala) since thousands of civilians and army officials have lost their lives," and the move was against that particular "mindset."
Shah said that the Taliban had taken the responsibility for attacking Malala but no one (referring to opposition) had condemned it.
Earlier, the House passed drug regulatory authority bill to harmonise inter-provincial trade of drugs and remedial goods. The House also resolved the issue that hampered passage of the bill the other day, regarding an amendment moved by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) seeking removal of the word "only" in Clause 14(3) of the bill that reads, "No person shall be appointed as the CEP or director of the authority unless he is citizen of Pakistan only."
National Regulations and Services Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that her party was not under pressure to support the amendment. However, Khursheed Shah said, "There should not be a bar on dual nationals."
End.
|
