Continuous drone attacks 'govt failure'

ISLAMABAD (Online) - Parliamentary Committee on National Security has summoned Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for briefing on new Afghan Policy announced by US President Barack Obama on April 06. According to the sources, the committee also expressed dissatisfaction over no announcement by US President Barack Obama with regard to stopping drone attacks in the tribal areas and declared it a failure of the government's foreign policy. Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, who is the chairman of the committee, presided over the meeting held here at the Parliament House on Saturday, which was also attended by ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali, Chief of JUI-F Moulana Fazal-ur-Rehman, Waseem Sajjad, Abdul Rahim Mandokhel, Abdul Razzaq, Dr Babar Awan, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Sherry Rehman, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Sami-ul-Haq, Ishaq Dar, Sardar Mehtab and Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed. Sources said the committee demanded to the government to adopt clear-cut strategy to ensure country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of precious lives in one of the deadliest suicide attack in Jamrud on Friday. Talking to media men after the meeting, Senator Raza Rabbani said the committee is finalising its recommendation and would try its level best to table it in the National Assembly in next three to four sessions. He said it has also convened Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on April 06 for briefing on the new policy announced by US President Barack Obama for Pakistan and Afghanistan, who would inform the committee about the stance of the government, he added. He went on to say that the US while considering itself as a democratic country should respect unanimous resolution adopted by the Parliament against the drone strikes in tribal areas of the country. Raza Rabbani, who recently resigned as Federal Minister and leader of house in the Senate, urged the government to take friendly countries into confidence and mount pressure on US for stopping the drone strikes.

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