ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party Wednesday in the Senate sought an explanation from the government whether any agreement exists with the United States that Pakistan would not use F-16 jets against India.

Former Chairman Senate and PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani taking part in the debate on intrusion of Indian submarine into Pakistan’s waters questioned what was the use of buying F-16 jets from Washington if this agreement exists?

After Pakistan Air Force shot down two Indian aircrafts on February 27, India has claimed that Islamabad has violated its F-16 sales agreement it had made with Washington. India claims that the deal limits Pakistan to use jets only for counter-terror operations.

Rabbani questions purpose of buying f-16 jets from US if some deal bars their use against enemy 

Rabbani said that Pakistan’s territorial violation by India should be seen in the context that its strategic partners wanted to implement their plan to make it policeman of the region. “There is a purpose of this all aggression and violations,” he said and added: “It looks that India while following the footsteps of Israel wants to show that it can carry out any operation in any territory like latter is doing in Arab.” He said that India wanted to turn Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) into another Palestine.

Before Rabbani, the other opposition lawmakers taking part in the discussion on an adjournment motion also slammed the government for not raising the Indian aggression, its violations of Pakistan’s territorial space and the killing of a Pakistani prisoner in Indian jail at international forums like United Nations, Common Wealth and Organisation of Islamic Organization (OIC).

Rabbani said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had so far not taken the parliament into confidence on these violations and rather gave all policy statements in the press. “What is the reason that no country has condemned Indian aggression openly so far,” he said. He said that a recent meeting of OIC foreign ministers in its 50 points declaration did condemn this aggression.

PPP stalwart advised the government to form a joint committee of the parliament to look into the emerging situation in the region and form a policy. “The situation is dangerous,” he warned. He said that it was also condemnable that India who dubbed itself as creator of human rights had handed over a “decapitated” body of Pakistani prisoner to Pakistan. We should tell the world what the leader of human right is doing,” he said adding that Pakistan was still into deep waters.

Rabbani said that the designs of India and its strategic partners—US and Israel—were long term and dangerous in the region and parliament should look into this matter and take a step.

PML-N Senator General (Retd) Abdul Qayyum said that there was no provision in the sale agreement between Pakistan and US that former couldn’t use F-16 for its defence. He said that Pakistan should appeal to the UN Security Council to summon an emergency meeting as Indian aggression had become a threat to world peace.

Another PML-N Senator Pervez Rasheed said that Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts at the forums like UN, Common Wealth and OIC were not visible to raise the Indian violations rather these platforms were making them answerable.

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also assailed the government for its “failure” to raise Indian violation at international forums and said there was a complete silence from the government side. “I don’t want to be embarrassed at this forum that government has not spoken up,” she said. She deplored that Pakistan handed over healthy pilot to India and in return got the dead body of its prisoner Shakirullah. She said that FO was silent on the issue and even no statement had come from government over intrusion of submarine except Pakistan Navy.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak winding up the debate said that he was not aware of whether any agreement exists between Pakistan and US regarding F-16. “I will inform the house soon if such deal exists,” he added. He said that India submarine intruded into Pakistan’s exclusive economic zone up to 90 nautical miles and the intrusion was foiled. We are carrying out our surveillance and if again it was detected in Pakistan’s waters, we will take action, he said.

Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari informed the house that according to Foreign Office, Pakistan was going to register a case against jail superintendent for killing Pakistani’s prisoner Shakirullah who was allegedly beaten to death by his inmates at the India’s Jaipur Central Jail. “Pakistan has also written a complaint to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),” she said. She said that the government would pay compensation to family of victim if Parliament passed a resolution.

“I have proposed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to revive the joint judicial committee comprising of retired judges of Pakistan and India to examine the living conditions of prisoners languishing in both countries. The committee became dysfunctional since 2013.

Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan responding the call attention notice said the government had decided to reimburse of overbilling to the gas consumers in the bills due for March and April. He said that responsibility would be fixed for this excessive billing during the on-going winter season. He said that both state owned gas utilities—SSGPL and SNGPL— made the overbilling while violating gas pressure factor approved by Oil & Gas regulatory Authority (OGRA). In a survey, the government found that 3300 consumers were found overbilled in out of total 10,000 only in one region and over billing was done in around 50 percent bills, the minister said.