Uproar, walkout on NSP mar Senate proceedings

ISLAMABAD: Noisy protests in front of the dais of the Senate chairman on Wednesday and walkout by the opposition against the National Security Policy, "bypassing Parliament and compromising on the country’s economic sovereignty" marred the Senate proceedings as some of the treasury members also left their seats and came forward.

The opposition wondered how the country’s security could be secure while giving away economic sovereignty to the international imperialist institutions, which exactly this government is doing and the proposed mini-budget is part of it. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said the parliament session is again being deferred as their own allies are not ready to support the proposed mini-budget.

Hitting back at the past governments, Leader of the House Dr Shahzad Waseem blamed the past governments, forcing the PTI government to approach the International Monetary Fund and said the PPP during its rule had gone to the IMF for 11 times and the PMLN four times and asked where those loans were spent.

He chided the opposition for missing no top-level meeting where the armed forces leadership was present. “PM Imran Khan will continue to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and dignity,” he maintained.

PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman said they found out through print and electronic media that the new NSP will be based on economic centrality.

Despite being the primary arena for policy development, the NSP has not been presented in the parliament and has been approved at a National Security Committee meeting without having held consultations with the legislators. She praised the centrality of the economy in the policy but criticized the way it was presented and said it was hoped that the policy would be brought before the Senate, the highest forum for legislation and policy making.

Likewise, she said a meeting of the National Security Committee was convened on December 6 in which the opposition did not participate. She said the opposition leaders were invited to the meeting but the prime minister himself did not attend it. She regretted that instead of evolving consensus in the parliament over the NSP and other issues of economic importance and civilian safety, the government continues to bulldoze bills and disregards democratic norms.

“How can the country be secured if its economic and security policies are not audited by its public representatives? There has been no consultation with the opposition regarding the NSP nor has the draft of the NSP been presented to the parliamentarians. Our history is replete with failed policies which did not succeed because they were made behind closed doors,” she argued.

Referring to the policy, she said there was a paper saying that the economy will be central but what is this new economic security policy? Is Pakistan going to be secure with the mini-budget dictated by the IMF or the State Bank which are no longer answerable to Pakistan? If the economic security flows from the IMF’s complete and crippling control of the economy, this policy is highly questionable. “How can the government speak about the NSP that focuses on economic development, when the economic situation under the incumbent government has proven disastrous for people? This government is responsible for unprecedented levels of rupee devaluation, current account deficit of $7 billion in this financial year alone and inflation rate of 11.50% after racking up Rs 50.5 trillion in debt and liabilities for Pakistan. People are unable to afford two meals and those who can afford them do not have enough gas in their stoves to cook,” she added.

She said reports have shown that the NSP will encompass anti-terror efforts to ensure civilian safety and economic development. Securing Pakistan’s economy and population from violent extremism are the country’s main priorities. But what’s actually happening is far different as groups like the TTP, which has declared jihad against the Pakistani state, are being offered amnesty. Additionally, the government has not made a draft of the NSP available to the public, how can a document focusing on safety and security not be provided to those it aims to protect?”

“The government claims that this is a revolutionary and unprecedented policy, however incorporating economic development within national security policies has been done time and again during the tenure of previous governments. During the PPP government, we focused on regional trade from a framework of national security and implemented policies to uplift Pakistan’s economic standing both nationally and regionally,” she said.

Senator Mohsin Aziz of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) kept interrupting Sherry. And afterwards, she also kept speaking when he was given the floor.

Earlier, before announcing the walkout, Sherry said: “In their time, black laws are being introduced under the guise of the National Security Policy. This is a joke with Pakistan and the parliament.”