PM asks Nisar to give proof against agencies

ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said in the National Assembly that government would take action against intelligence agencies if opposition leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan took him and his party into confidence over their alleged role in the countrys politics. Talking about the agencies role in national politics as Nisar alleged them supporting 'test tube politicians, the prime minister said political parties should understand their power as people had elected them representatives. People are with us. They trust us and we should not feel threat of sponsoring somebody by anyone, the prime minister added. The PM said Pakistan had multi-dimensional relations with the US and was also conducting strategic dialogues with her. The visit of ISI DG to America was a routine matter, he said, adding the secretary defence would visit the US soon. The ISI DG was also with me when I visited Afghanistan. The purpose of the visit was to reduce trust deficit between the two countries, Gilani said. Commenting on the PPP-PML-Q expected alliance, he said alliance with PML-Q would not be something against principals. We are in coalition in Sindh, Khyber Pakhunkhwa and also remained in Punjab with PML-N, so the alliance with any other party was not unjustified, he said in response to Ch Nisar Ali Khans objection. The PM further said the government was committed to resolve the public issues and would also welcome the suggestions of opposition parties in all matters including petroleum prices. He also apologised to the House for absence of ministers during the Question Hour. Earlier, Opposition leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan without mentioning the name alleged that test-tube politicians were staging sit-ins on the directions of others. He said the weaknesses of the government were supporting those people. He went on to saying that the prime minster should bind the agencies to remain in their constitutional limits. He said he knew that personnel of these agencies were also meeting some of the senior leaders of PML-N. If required, I will explain with whom the agencies are in contact and what political game they are playing. The government does not pay them from national exchequer for this purpose. The prime minister says the agencies should not be grilled but he never asked from me what kind of concerns I have over these agencies , Nisar said. He said the government had passed three years and during this time PML-N never tried to destabilise the government. We always asked the agencies they had nothing to do with the politics. Either we met the General in daylight or in the night, you may ask him what we said, the opposition leader added. Commenting on the likely alliance between PPP and PML-Q, he said those who went against each other over the killing and family animosities were now planning to get together under the flag of 'National Government. He further requested the prime minister to take the House into confidence on the public issues including petroleum prices and warned if the public issues were not taken up in the House or remained unattended the opposition would stage protest in and outside the parliament. Talking about the establishment of new provinces and the Punjab CMs statement on Sindh, Nisar said PML-N had no objection on creation of new provinces, however, a constitutional way should be adopted for the purpose. The statement of Shahabaz Shairf on Sindh was distorted, he said. Earlier responding to Khawaja Saad Rafique regarding attack on PML-N office in Sindh, Minister for Water and Power and Privatisation Commission Syed Naveed Qamar assured that the matter would be raised with the provincial government. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik assured the National Assembly that security forces would be deployed within 48 hours on Parachinar road that was once again closed after kidnapping of passengers. MNA from Para Chinar also staged walkout from the House against the negligence of the government for providing security to the people. MNA Munir Khan Orakzai, however, briefed the House about their meeting with President Zardari in which the members of FATA demanded of the president to work for stopping drone attacks and establishing Fata as a province.

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