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| Lawmakers assail foreign policy |
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The foreign policy of the government came under fire in the National Assembly on Tuesday, with special reference to the relations with the United States as legislators asked for a review of the policy and to make it according to the people’s aspirations rather than toeing the US policies.
The National Assembly that had kicked off the debate on the foreign policy of the government on Monday, continued it on Tuesday. During the debate, the government came under severe criticism for toeing the American line on every issue. The opposition targeted the government’s policy on the ‘war on terror’ with special reference to the United States and demanded a joint session of parliament. They even advocated holding of an in-camera debate so that a detailed discussion on the foreign policy could take place.
In this regard, voices of dissent were raised in the Lower House with concern over the recent statements from the United States, asking the government to reply them in the same tone. They expressed concern over the civil nuclear agreement between the United States and India, saying it would create an imbalance in the region and showed dual standards of the United States.
Taking part in the debate, Parliamentary leader of the MMA in the National Assembly Liaquat Baloch termed the country’s foreign policy a complete failure since it no longer protected Pakistan’s national interests. “Our foreign policy revolves around the United States”, he said, adding the global terrorism theory was the brainchild of the US administration and nothing else. “No one supports the incidents of terrorism taking place in the US in which innocent people lost their lives, but the way these events took place raised many eyebrows,” he added.
He said the United States did not take the world into confidence about the 9/11 investigations. He further said that after the defeat of the USSR in Afghanistan, the United States started anti-Muslim propaganda.
The US targeted the Muslims and their religion, by sowing seeds of disunity and fomenting sectarianism in Iraq and Pakistan. He said the United States was using the Pakistan Army against its own people. “The people who fought against the Russian invasion were hailed as Mujahideen, but now they are being branded as terrorists,” he added. He said, on the other hand, the people of Kashmir and Palestine were not given their due rights.
He said Pakistan offered cooperation to the US in its war on terror but the benefits were awarded to India and Afghanistan. Baloch strongly criticised the government’s handling of the nuclear scientist Dr AQ Khan and demanded his early release. He also asked the government to reject the US bill that links aid to Pakistan’s performance in the war against terror.
Baluch said the US always needed a dictator to pursue their agenda. He urged a complete overhaul of the foreign policy according to changed global circumstances and asked that the US aid should be rejected.
He said that foreign policy should be orchestrated on the basis of priorities and national interests with emphasis on forging amicable relations with neighbours. Minister of State for Environment Malik Ameen Aslam said that the Pak-US ties were based on a ‘love-hate relationship’ but for the last four months, public concerns had increased due to certain negative developments.
He said the Indo-US nuclear deal had given India an advantage, which would disturb the balance of power and start a nuclear arms race in the region. He said it was indeed a matter of serious concern that despite Pakistan being the frontline state in war on terror and sacrificing its soldiers, the US administration had made its aid conditional to its future role in this war.
“It appears that the debate between Republicans and Democrats in the US revolved around Pakistan and Islam and the basis for the US presidential elections was laid on anti-Pakistan and anti-Islam sentiments,” he added.
Yasmeen Rehman of the PPP said that Republican candidate Tom Tancredo should render a proper apology. She said, on the other hand, the OIC had not reacted in a befitting manner over threats of attacking the holy sites.
She said in view of this situation, time is ripe for Pakistan to lead the Ummah. She stressed the need for transition of power to democratic forces in the face of looming internal and external issues.
Farooq Amjad Mir of treasury benches said if Pakistan wanted to have an independent foreign policy, self-reliance was the need of the hour”. “We are toeing the American policies due to our own weakness,” he added. M P Bhandara said that the Taliban and the United States should be invited for talks in Pakistan to settle the Afghan issue.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
