The Senators were of the view that the action of the US government is in sheer violation of the Human Rights Charter of the United Nations and is not in line with the behaviour of civilised nations. The opposition is ready to fully support the government on the issue so that it could take up the matter with the US government with full backing of the Parliament. PML-N senior leader Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar criticised the new US policy vis-à-vis Pakistani passengers in strong words.
In a furious tone, Dar outrightly flayed the screening procedure of the US government and termed it as breach of dignity, trust and self-respect of Pak citizens. Pakistan being frontline state in war against terror is sacrificing lives and providing logistic support to Nato and the US troops fighting in Afghanistan, but the attitude of the US administration is shameful, he said.
The opposition also asked the government not to send its high-level delegations to the US in protest and adopt similar attitude as resorted to by the US government. Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani laid emphasis on clearly chalking out the government foreign policy objectives so as to differentiate between friend and foe of the country.
He asked the government to place the agreement on logistic support inked with the US on war against terror before the House as it is the right of each and every member to have knowledge of government activities. Senator Colonel Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi (R) of MQM insisted that the US should be pressurised to make necessary amendments in the new screening system to make it in line with the charter of the United Nations.
The government, he said, must raise this issue at the UN Human Right Commission and other relevant international fora. Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Zahid Khan said terrorism has engulfed the country, which is the result of following the US blindly.
Senior Senator S M Zafar made a commitment on the floor of the House that he will not proceed to America until and unless the US did not make necessary amendments in its screening system especially carved for 14 countries including Pakistan.
Shahid Bugti of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) said though it is a discriminatory law, the US has right to legislate for the security of the country, however, our Cabinet members particularly interior and foreign ministers should not go to America for any meeting and if it is necessary they should hold meetings in a third country as some of the western countries were doing in case of Pakistan.
In his winding up speech, Foreign State Minister Malik Amad made it clear that Pakistan would not accept this discriminatory law and has conveyed its concerns to the US authorities through the US Special Representative on Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke during his recent visit to Islamabad.
Pakistan has urged the US to formulate its policies based on mutual respect and understanding and such a discriminatory law would not be acceptable to us being frontline state in the war on terror. While giving briefing to the Lower House of the Parliament on power crisis, Minister for Water and Power rejected the reports of 45 percent increase in power tariff with the installation of Rental Power Plants (RPPs) and termed it a baseless speculation.
The National Assembly did not take up any specific agenda on Tuesday being the private members day. However, the house passed two motions unanimously one against the selling of spurious medicines in the country while the other related to making arrangements for supporting destitute children and women.
During the session, the Prime Minister was seen discussing something important with Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf and Law Minister Dr Babar Awan. The Prime Minister remained in the House for a short while and then left accompanied by Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Similarly, Khawaja Saad Rafiq of PML-N left his seat and went to the chairs of Dr Babar Awan and the Minister for Petroleum and held meetings with both the ministers. Saad also went to the seat of State Minister for Interior Tasneem Qureshi and discussed something and from the press gallery the movement of lips gave the impression that as said on many counts we are a friendly opposition, but do not drag us into the real arena!