Recommendations on Pak-US ties can be refined: Raza Rabbani

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, who heads the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), on Thursday, said proposal of recommendations to redefine the terms of engagement with the United States could be redefined further.

While speaking to the media ahead of the federal cabinet meeting, Raza Rabbani said they would consider suggestions of opposition parties.

On Wednesday, the senator presented the proposal of recommendations to a joint session of both the National Assembly and Senate. The parliamentary committee prepared the proposals after working over the past few months to reset the country’s foreign policy priorities with a sharp focus on US-Pak ties in the war against terrorism.

The body undertook the exercise after last year’s NATO attack on Salala check-posts, killing 24 troops.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, soon after the joint-sitting, rejected the draft, cautioning against using parliament to rubber-stamp decisions made by some hidden forces.

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly while addressing a news conference said an official permission to the presence of foreign spy agencies limited or unlimited operatives is not acceptable at any cost.

He observed, “On the one hand, it says that the purpose is to secure Pakistan’s sovereignty and on the other hand it says that the working of international security agencies in the country would be transparent. Tell me, which independent country lets foreign security agents work on its soil?”

He informed the media that his party will oppose a number of recommendations including one mentioned at number 9.

In order to remove the concerns of the opposition parties, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani summoned a special meeting of the cabinet to review the draft of recommendations.

According to the media reports, there was a possibility that the cabinet might recommend some changes in the proposal of recommendations, to make them satisfactory for all opposition parties.

A joint-sitting of the Parliament will open a three-day debate on the recommendations from Monday.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 22 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.