Nisar slams govt for not assailing September 15 drone attack

ISLAMABAD: Former Interior Minister and veteran politician Chaudhry Nisar on floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday came hard on the government for not condemning drone attack inside Pakistan territory and failure to prevent anti-Pakistan declaration at BRICS summit held in China.

Chaudhry Nisar asked the prime minister that instead of showing courtesy to the United States, the Pakistan government should express displeasure to them on drone attacks. He recalled that the Parliament through a resolution had taken a categorical stance that drone attacks in Pakistan were unacceptable and against country’s sovereignty.

He pointed out that the US ambassador in Islamabad met Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi the same day when the drone attack took place. “Not even a formal condemnation from the Pakistan government against drone attack of September 15 came,” he said.

“Instead of showing courtesy to US, the government should convey its displeasure over drone attack in Pakistan,” the PML-N parliamentarian said.

Former interior minister while expressing concerns over an anti-Pakistan declaration at BRICS summit held in China saying the diplomats who were responsible for the failure, should be held accountable.

He pointed out that the last BRICS summit was held in India, a year ago when the host country tried its best for announcement of a similar declaration but could not succeed, saying the same declaration was passed at this year’s summit held in China.

He was of the view it was always responsibility of diplomats abroad to keep in touch with their countries regarding developments taking place at the international level. “The diplomats who follow BRICS should be held accountable as to why they did not perform their responsibility,” he said, adding Pakistan’s enemy was active for achieving its objective for the last one year.

Chaudhry Nisar, while praising statement of Leader of Britain’s Geremy Corby in which he said that a policy of respect, not criticism should be followed when it comes to Pakistan. He suggested that a letter of thanks from the Speaker’s office should be sent to the UK parliamentarians for giving pro-Pakistan statement.

Taking part in discussion on a motion regarding plight of Rohingya Muslims, the senior parliamentarian said mere passing a resolution would not serve rather effective practical steps were needed to be taken. “The human rights organisations and international community was acting as silent spectators but the Pakistan government should fulfill its responsibility,” he said.

He suggested that the House should demand immediate special session of the OIC to take up the issue. At the same time, the former interior minister said that the OIC because of its non-active role, had become redundant should be disbanded.

He also proposed the Pakistan to create a fund to help out Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh while the parliamentarians should take the lead by donating their salaries.

He said a delegation of parliamentarians from Pakistan should also be sent to Bangladesh. “The Bangladesh government will be exposed if it does not allow the Pakistani delegation to enter,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch told the House that Pakistan had strongly taken up with Swiss authorities the issue of display of Free Balochistan posters in Geneva. He said there was no doubt that country’s enemies would have funded this massive campaign. He said there are clear proofs that India was supporting separatist elements in Balochistan.

He said under the UN Charter, separatist and terrorist outfits, such as Balochistan Liberation Army, cannot carry out any activity on foreign land against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other country.

However, he said that presently situation was normal in Balochistan, saying that and there were no alarming conditions there. “There are some wrong projects that the people of Balochistan are with separatists,” he said, adding that the following of separatists was not as much as were being projected. The calling attention notice was moved by Naeema Kishwar Khan, Asiya Nasir, Khalid Hussain Magsi and other parliamentarians.