State Minister for Foreign Affairs Malik Ahmad assured the House that the government would not compromise on the 'self respect and dignity' of the country and would not accept any such discriminatory law. He added that the issue has already been taken up with the US authorities.
Speaking on an adjournment motion moved by treasury Senator Mian Raza Rabbani and Deputy Chairman Senate Jan Mohammad Jamali, some of the lawmakers even suggested the government not to send any parliamentary delegation or Cabinet member to the United States in protest as long as the humiliating checking system is in place.
Veteran politician and renowned lawyer Senator S M Zafar of Pakistan Muslim League-Q announced he will not visit the United States till ending of the curbs on the Pakistani passengers. The lawmakers from both sides of the divide strongly criticised the new screening guidelines introduced by the Homeland Department of the US in the name of security.
However, Senator from Balochistan Shahid Hassan Bugti said it is the right of the United States to introduce any law on its land for security purposes, but it is also the right of Pakistan to introduce same rule against the Americans in the country.
In his winding up speech, Malik said that Pakistan would not accept this discriminatory law and has conveyed its concerns to the US authorities through the recent visiting US special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, who, he said, assured to convey it to the US Homeland Department and redress the issue.
He said Pakistan has taken up and would take up the concerns with the US at every forum. He underlined that for the last 10 to 20 years, particularly after the 9/11, Pakistan was badly affected due to the US policies. He said we have asked the US not to link Muslims and Pakistan with terrorism and extremism. He said Pakistan has urged the US to formulate the policies based on mutual respect and understanding and such a discriminatory law would not be acceptable for us being a frontline state in the war on terror.
He added that President Zardari had already made it clear to the US that there are strict security arrangements at the Pakistani airports and Pakistani passengers should not be subjected to such body screening on their arrival at the US airports.
Earlier, debating on the motion, Professor Khursheed Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami said the attitude of the US has always been aggressive and biased against the Muslims. He suggested the government to change its priorities and the policy with respect to the United States to ensure national security, sovereignty and the dignity of the nation.
The new screening guidelines, he felt, as yet another step of the US to humiliate the Muslims across the world, which is sheer violation of the fundamental human rights. PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar opined that the US has always made relations with Pakistan keeping in view its vested interests and left us after achieving its goals.
He added that Pakistan should actively engage with the US over the serious issue and ensure ending the humiliating and discriminatory law. "Pakistan has made significant sacrifices as far as the war on terror is concerned and deserves special incentives instead of such discriminatory laws. Otherwise, Pakistan should also treat the US in the same way," he added.
JUI Senator Mohammad Khan Shirani said the government should bring the agreement to the House, which has been reportedly made with the US with respect to logistic support as far as the war on terror is concerned. He was also advocating similar laws for the US citizens in Pakistan if it is reluctant to withdraw the decision.
Senator Tahir Hussain Mashedi of MQM said the contribution of Pakistan in the war on terror is even more than the combined contribution of coalition partners and the US. He said we should be given right to live with dignity, otherwise, Pakistan has to part its ways with others in the war on terror.
ANP Senator Zahid Khan underlined that not a single terrorists of the 9/11 had Pakistani passport and Pakistan is suffering from the worse kind of terrorism due to the US policies imposed on us through a dictator. Senator SM Zafar said the US is continuously targeting the Muslim Ummah through its policies.
Announcing not to visit to the US till the end of the body screening at its airports, Zafar also suggested the other parliamentarians to follow suit and take a joint stance against the discriminatory law. Earlier, leader of the House, Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari introduced the Bill to further amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2009).