Deadlock over military courts still persists

PPP boycotts session; political parties request NA speaker to contact Zardari

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of parliamentary parties' leaders during Thursday’s session discussed extension of military courts and recommended to the National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to contact Asif Ali Zardari seeking end of PPP’s boycott of discussion on the issue.

During the meeting, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq observed that all the parliamentary parties had consensus on the issue saying the PPP top leader Asif Ali Zardari would be contacted with request to end boycott of the meeting.

It may be pointed out that Asif Ali Zardari had directed the PPP leadership in Pakistan to oppose extension in tenure of the military courts.

The Thursday’s session was attended by all the main parliamentary parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) whereas PPP had announced to boycott the meeting on Wednesday.  The National Assembly Speaker said the PPP wanted that the National Security Committee should be formed soon.

JI parliamentary leader Sahibzada Tariqullah conditioned his support to extension of military courts with some amendments to the law which allows establishment of courts. He said the phenomenon of terrorism should not be related with religion.

The JI leader, later told 'The News' that nothing significant was discussed during the meeting in absence of PPP on Thursday. He also expressed his concern over deteriorating relations with neighbouring country Afghanistan saying the government needed to review its foreign policy in this connection.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar was also of the same opinion, stating that the National Security Committee should be constituted over the issue of military courts. “The committee should be headed by any of the senior parliamentarians,” he said.

He maintained that his party would no longer lend unconditional support to the extension of military courts. Meanwhile, the JUI-F chief in an informal media chat said that the government had agreed to address reservations of his party on the issue. He maintained that his party would not allow liberal thought to dominate any legislation.