PTI govt’s decisions sans Parliament’s nod were a ‘disaster’: Raza Rabbani

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2022-12-10T05:06:33+05:00 Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD            -            Former Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on Friday said that the report of the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) presented before the Senate panel had vindicated PPP’s position that internal security policy decisions by the government without taking Parliament into confidence were a ‘disaster.’ A day earlier, the premier counterterrorism authority had presented a document before the Senate Standing Committee on Interior stating that peace talks initiated by then federal government with banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ‘emboldened’ the militant group to ‘increase its footprint and magnitude of activities.’ The report said that TTP during peace talks process gained ‘considerable ground.’ Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Rabbani in a statement underlined that the decision to initiate a dialogue with the TTP was made without taking the Parliament into confidence. “In fact, there was a constant demand for a joint sitting of the Parliament but it fell on the deaf ears of the then (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) government.” He further said that this “failed policy” of the government has put national security at risk, endangered the lives of citizens and security personnel, and brought under strain the success of various army operations against terrorism. He said that flawed decision had resulted into an overall increase in the terrorism index. The seasoned politician from Sindh said that the US State Department’s recent statement at a weekly press conference that it won’t allow Afghan soil to be used against Pakistan has far reaching implications. “In which direction is Pakistan and the region being taken,” he questioned. Senator Rabbani demanded that a joint sitting of Parliament should be summoned immediately to discuss and find the way forward in the face of this threat to national security. “A parliamentary inquiry should be conducted to know the rationale behind the previous government’s policy towards TTP and also why parliament was not taken into confidence?” He said that the joint sitting should elect an eight-member committee, with equal representation from both houses, for such a purpose.

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