Senators raise concern about US sanctions on Iran

ISLAMABAD: The government was asked in the Senate Friday to brief the House on the possible impact of US sanctions against Iran on Pakistan.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Abdul Rehman Malik raised the matter on a point of public importance and said that there was a need to take precautionary measures as the sanctions would have a serious impact on Pakistan.

The PPP senator, who served as interior minister, said that the US sanctions would have a discernible, deleterious impact on Pakistan as there would be travel restrictions. He pointed out that thousands of pilgrims visit Iran every year to pay homage at holy sites and if there were a ban, this pilgrimage would be impeded.

US President Donald Trump's latest move, he cautioned, would go along with tough sanctions to be imposed on Tehran, and was worrying US allies as well as countries like Pakistan and India, which have signed billions of dollars trade with the neighbouring country.

He wondered, “how people will travel to Iran if the US imposes travel restrictions on Iran, and putting a ban on people who have been visiting the holy places in Iran will have serious repercussions, as no one will accept it”.

PPP senator called on the government to inform the Senate about the steps it was going to take in the face of US sanctions on Iran as Pakistan would be directly affected as a result of the embargo.

To this, chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani directed the Senate secretariat to send the verbatim of the senator to the Foreign Affairs Ministry and report back to the House about the measures to be taken in case of sanctions against Iran.

While speaking on an another issue, Senator Malik said that extra money was being charged from passengers under the pretext of variation in prices of the air tickets, which had become a matter of grave concern for the travelers as there are people, who have no money expect the tickets. “This exploitation must stop as it is a poor country. There should be no extra charges on an airlines ticket once it is purchased,” he maintained.

Speaking on a point of public importance, Leader of Opposition Senator Sherry Rehman made an appeal to the senators belonging to all political parties and those who support democracy to raise their voice in nabbing the killers of martyred Benazir Bhutto and join the fight for justice in her case. “The police officers who washed the crimes scene minutes after the incident are being promoted and five TTP hardcore terrorists, who confessed to killing her, were set free,” she lamented.