The Flip Side of NATO Attacks

Once again Uncle Sam has sternly sabotaged the repute & dignity of our venerable Parliament House through the annunciation of their ferine intentions to carry on the Drone strikes against militant targets on Pakistani soil. This declaration has possibly set the two countries up for diplomatic tensions once again after Pakistan’s parliament unanimously approved new guidelines for the country’s troubled relationship with the United States. The past squalid & impotent disposition of Pakistan’s Parliament stimulated US to profane it once again for their prospective interests.

This declaration has truly revealed the fact, the nation which implores in front of economic powers carry no foreign policy, considerable authority and decisive mandate even on their own issues. Whatever it is, it’s a threat on the part of our government and national security bodies that are duly responsible for the territorial defense of state and not the parliament. A statesman can only fight the legislative war inside parliament and that they have done marvelously. Especially the principled stance of JUI Ameer Maulana Fazl ur Rehman was exemplary in setting out the recommendations and throughout the rest of the parliamentary process. It was his categorical stand which brought a fruitful reward in the shape of unanimous parliamentary recommendations.

Pakistan indefinitely shut NATO Supply lines through the country, ordered the immediate evacuation of Shamsi Airbase in retaliation when NATO gunship helicopters & jet fighters carried out unprovoked firing for two hours on well known Pakistani military post at Salala which claimed some 24 precious lives.

After vacating Shamsi Airbase America started bargaining with Pakistan upon the restoration of the NATO supply routes. Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) responding to it hit the deadlock in the month of February over the allowance of conditional supply to NATO forces in Afghanistan linking the reopening of NATO supply routes with halting drone attacks inside Pakistani territory and seeking of formal US/NATO apology over killings of Pakistani soldiers,as the PML-N despite the mainstream opposition party supported it, while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) opposed the proposal and propounded the government to not to alter and leave the policy at stake. Maulana Fazl ur Rehman in his fiery speech in parliament also warned the government of dire consequences if supply restored.

However, the committee chairman hoped to develop consensus among the political parties. The opposition parties had joined hands a week earlier to adopt unanimous stand in the parliament on recommendations of PCNS but fell divided later on and only JUI kept its status of being the only party in opposition to the restoration of NATO supply hence truly depicting the public view. Now when the parliament has absolutely halted drone strikes and decided not to restore NATO supply the credit goes to JUI for because it was the only party who put forward these views and successfully convinced the government upon it.

Later on when Maulana Fazl ur Rehman was invited by the presidency people were of the view that Maulana will show flexibility but the recommendations clearly portray that he has clean bowled the presidency with his versatile diplomatic style.

Now when the parliament has unanimously passed the PCNS recommendations regarding US ties and issue of NATO supply on Thursday, our media channels is wrongly feeding it into the minds that the recommendations is demanding no halt to NATO supply and only the arms supply has been stopped with vivid intentions to smear the JUI character by establishing a perception that only opposing party (JUI) has compromised upon its principles. These people need to pay bit heed and review the PCNS recommendations if avid to know in true means.
As per revised recommendations, no verbal agreement regarding national security shall be entered into by the Government or any department or organization with any foreign Government or authority. All such agreements or understandings shall cease to have effect forthwith.

Now as the NATO supply was a verbal understanding between US and Pakistan, Its restoration would carry no legal meaning as per the recommendations defined by the PCNS. Every kind of supply has been prohibited as per the PCNS’s recommendations. Also the government has been disabled by PCNS’s recommendations to pass an executive decision for the restoration of NATO supply rather they will have to abide by the recommendation no. eight of PCNS to draft a treaty with any foreign country and if done by the government, it would be beyond the parliamentary recommendations and JUI reserve its right to forcefully stop it in the field.

If the NATO supply would have been restored why Unites States Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Robin Raphel is sitting with Nawaz Sharif to discuss the issue of reopening of supply routes for NATO and US forces in Afghanistan.

Keeping in view the recommendations, Pakistan is no more strategic partner to NATO or US and is out of the frontline alliance of US in the so called war against terror.

It’s a clear fact; JUI has defined new parameters & fundamentals for the foreign policy of Pakistan in the form of their huge legislative contribution to the drafting of PCNS’s recommendations. Alongside other clauses, the proviso that all verbal agreements regarding national security shall cease to have effect forthwith was given place in the recommendations solely after being compelled by the principled stance of JUI. It’s indeed a great achievement on the part of a political party having such a limited presence in both the houses.