Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Waseem Sajjad has done quite a job. He has moved a bill called Pakistan Sovereignty Act that would require the President to certify to Parliament each year that the countrys sovereignty was being preserved. Among other things, it stipulates that no compromise would be made on the nuclear programme, the command and promotions in the armed forces and the role and structure of the security forces. The bill would put President Zardari in a spot. He would have to tread with caution in framing national policies as well as forging relations with the outside world. Parliament, on the other hand, would also gain in the sense that it would be verifying whether the president was going in the right direction. What has damaged our sovereignty the most is our leaderships zeal to woo the Americans at any cost. Pakistans first military ruler Ayub Khan who harped on the theme of 'friends not masters did the US bidding in all kinds of undignified ways. The situation got worse during the Zia era when Pakistan was turned into a stepping stone for the war in Afghanistan. However, Musharraf crossed all limits. Drone attacks over our territory for instance turned out to be the last nail in sovereigntys coffin. But what is most unfortunate is that such violations continue despite a civilian government coming at the helm. IMF, World Bank and others have been given carte blanche managing the countrys financial affairs. On the other side of the spectrum, the trend of relying on foreign powers to reconcile squabbling politicians has also emerged as a serious threat to our status as an independent nation. Sovereign states do not act like that. The bill therefore is a good attempt that would allow Pakistan to reclaim its rightful status in the comity of nations. It is also an indication of the fact that our legislators are very much conscious of the evils plaguing Pakistan. One hopes the bill will be endorsed by Parliament.