Parliament rejects reopening of Nato supply route: Nisar

[Shah-i-Kot]

http://www.brecorder.com/general-news/172/1178327/




Parliament rejects reopening of Nato supply route: Nisar


April 18, 2012
RECORDER REPORT
Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Tuesday said that parliament has rejected the reopening of Nato supply route and the recently passed joint resolution carries no clause contrary to national interest.
Speaking at a news conference at Punjab House in Rawalpindi, Nisar rejected the criticism on the party by some religious parties regarding PML-N stance on the Nato supply, saying that due to the role of the opposition parties the parliament rejected the move to reopen the Nato supply route.

He asked the leadership of religious parties not to conceal facts rather asked them to come up with the truth to satisfy the nation.

He added that his party has expressed the sentiments of the people of the country in the joint session of the parliament regarding reopening of Nato supply route.He said that all clauses that could be in the vested interests of the foreign powers have been deleted from the resolution, recently adopted by the joint session.

To a question, Nisar said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would announce its alliance with like-minded faction of Pakistan Muslim League-Q in next few days.Nisar also claimed that many members of National Assembly of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and PML-Q were also in contact with party leadership to join PML-N.

To a question, he said no one was criticising the ruling alliance while opposition was being blamed for nothing.

He said that great expectations from the opposition were unjustifiable and it should be held responsible to the extent of its capacity.Nisar also criticised PML-Q for supporting Pervez Musharraf, saying that the party opted to join the ruling coalition despite the fact that the PPP top leadership had labelled it with "Qatil League".

He said that PML-N, being in opposition has adopted a principled stance for the last four years and has been opposing the anti-people policies.

Hitting back at the PML-N critics, he said that they could not befool the nation with political tactics.Responding to a query, he said that the opposition party has been playing very constructive role in the parliament pertaining to legislation, adding that he would introduce all the documents before the nation which are evident that the opposition discouraged the government many times from legislating on wrong issues.

To another question, he said that PML-N was not against creation of new provinces but these should not be on ethnic grounds but new federating units should be created on administrative basis.

[Shah-i-Kot]

http://english.cri.cn/6966/2012/04/18/1461s694062.htm

Pakistan Delays Decision on NATO Supplies Restoration
2012-04-18 17:05:10 Xinhua Web Editor: Zhangjin
Pakistan's top decision-making body on national security has delayed decision to reopen key supply route for NATO-led troops in neighboring Afghanistan, local media reported on Wednesday.

Pakistan closed the supply line in November last year after 24 soldiers were killed in a NATO airstrike on Pakistani border posts.

The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC), which blocked NATO supplies a day after the deadly NATO raids, failed Tuesday evening to make a decision to reopen the supply line.

The parliament, which adopted a resolution on future relations with the U.S. on April 12, had left the decision to reopen the NATO supply route to the government.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani presided over the DCC meeting attended by key members of cabinet, three services chiefs and the head of Inter-Services Intelligence.

While delaying decision to resume NATO supply line, the meeting "linked the decision with certain positive steps by the United States", the leading Urdu language daily Jang reported.

The decision was deferred for the sake of "national interest" after senior military leaders "expressed reservations", the report said.

The meeting was informed about the delay in payment to Pakistan by the U.S. despite promises and it was decided to wait for the response of the country's Finance Minister, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, who is currently holding talks with American officials in Washington, the daily said.

The meeting has instructed the Foreign Ministry to work out a plan for relationship with the U.S. in line with the parliamentary guidelines with focus on three major issues: the U.S. must make an apology for the NATO strike on Pakistani checkposts; bring those involved in the strike to justice; and bring end to U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's northwest tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

The meeting was told that the U.S. will stop drone strikes after all foreign fighters are expelled from the tribal regions, whom the U.S. considers as a serious threat, the report said.

The DCC directed to chalk out an operational plan to clear the lawless tribal region of foreign militants, whose presence prompts U.S. drone strikes.

[Shehbaz Khan]

Point Scoring by Nisar