ISLAMABAD - The Senators on Monday voiced concern over an under consideration counter-terrorism strategy of the Obama administration - where reportedly the CIA will be given a free hand to direct drone strikes inside Pakistan - and urged the Federal government to take up the issue at UN Security Council before the US President accords any such approval.
Earlier, it was reported that Obama administration is finalising a rulebook for target killings, where the CIA would be granted an exemption for its Pakistan operations.
According to report, President Obama within weeks accord final approval to that document. Speaking on a point of order, PML-N Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah drew the attention of the House towards the issue.
He termed it an effort to sabotage the peace of the entire world. "Under what laws or charter, the US is going to grant permission to the CIA to openly violate Pakistan's sovereignty," Shah questioned.
He also suggested the House to adopt a unanimous resolution to condemn it.
The Opposition, PML-N, Senator Raja Zafarul Haque said the US had made its new counter-terrorism strategy country specific that was unacceptable to Pakistan.
"The issue has put a question mark on Pakistan's relations with the US. This is not the way to pay back thousands of sacrifices Pakistan has rendered in war on terror," he observed.
He also questioned the performance of Pakistan's Foreign Ministry and Armed Forces, who claimed to be an ally of the US in war on terror.
He said if that plan was accorded approval than it would be the treated as failure of the Pak government.
"US approach to Pakistan shows if the country is some banana republic. Even the government did not bother to condemn such US motives," he added.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of PML-Q said it was a message and a warning from the US and it was unacceptable.
"At one hand Pakistan is showing its willingness to support the US with its withdrawal plans from Afghanistan, while on the other the US is trying to add to the worries of Pakistan," he said.
He suggested to link the drone strikes issue with Afghan peace process.
Leader of the House in Senate Jehangir Badr assured the House that reservations of the legislators would be conveyed to the Foreign Minister.
"She will be asked to come to the House and address the reservations," he added.
The statement of Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde - where he conceded that Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Rrastriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) were promoting Hindu terrorism in the country and were behind several terrorist acts - also caught the attention of the House.
Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistan Muslim League-Q said finally a responsible Minister of the Indian government confessed that terrorism in India was a homegrown issue and that Pakistan was not behind it.
He said government should take notice of Shinde's statement and must circulate the copies of that confession among the members of UN Security Council in a bid to dispel the false impression of Pakistan's involvement in terrorism acts in India.
Zafar Ali Shah of Pakistan Muslim League-N said the government of Pakistan must ask the Indian government about presence of training camps in India to spread terrorism. "It should be asked from India that what they have done so far to eliminate such camps," he remarked.
Senators belonging to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) on Monday staged separate walkouts from the House after terming the imposition of Governor’s rule in Balochistan as an unconstitutional act of the Federal government.
Senator Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Sheerani of JUI-F contended that Constitutional requirements were not adhered before announcing Governor’s rule in the province. He also called upon the President to revoke his earlier decision by exercising his powers bestowed to him by the Constitution under Article 236.
He said it was conveyed to the Prime Minister that provincial Cabinet members including the Chief Minister Balochistan were ready to resign in a bid to avert that unconstitutional act.
He said all the requirements require to exercise Article 234 of the Constitution were not fulfilled.
"If it was because of administrative collapse in the province than Governor of Balochistan was required to serve notices time and again to the provincial government before moving summary to the President. But it never happened," he said.
He said decision was taken after killings of Hazara Shias in Quetta whereas the same was not imposed after foreign aggression on the country, the US Seals raid in Abbotabad or attacks on GHQ and Kamra Air Base, or drone strikes.
The PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday confused his fellow Senators and media men sitting in Press gallery when he frequently used the word 'ruling elite' that according to him had backed Qadri's march and now it wanted its share in power by incorporating judiciary and Army's say in upcoming caretaker set up.
Might be he wanted to say the word 'establishment', however, until end it remained unclear.
Speaking on a point of order Rabbani said after the 18th and 20th Constitutional Amendments the role of the ruling elites in formation of Election Commission and the caretaker government had been denied.
He said an effort was being made from the backdoor to ensure some role for the ruling elites in the nomination of the caretaker government and the formulation of the ECP.
"However, I want to make it clear that if judiciary and Army is given any role in both the issues it will be a clear violation of the Constitution of Pakistan."
He said under that scheme, the ECP is being targeted at first deliberately. Rabbani said that the demand to dissolve the ECP was aimed at seeking some influence of the elites to steal the elections, as was the practice in the past. But, the article 213 had blocked this possibility, he added.
He said the Article 215 of the Constitution makes it clear that the Chief Election Commissioner could only be removed through Article 209 and the Supreme Judicial Council could remove the CEC.
Rabbani said that the revolution never came about but that would not be the last attempt to derail the democratic process in the country.
He said that if Army and judiciary are consulted for caretaker government formation, it would be a violation of the Constitution as Army's oath does not allow taking part in politics while under the principle of trichotomy of powers, the judiciary could not be consulted.
"Moreover, if judiciary is consulted, no court would be able to hear any writ petition against the caretakers as the judiciary would be a party in caretaker's nomination", he added. He also said that the demand for verification of candidates nomination papers in 30 days was absurd, which was also against the law.
"This is against Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution," he added.
During the proceedings of the House, Senator belonging to the PML-N staged a token walkout from the House over the remarks of Interior Minister.
PML-N Senator Kamran Michel said Rehman Malik in his statement resembled Tahirul Qadri with Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
He said Rehman Malik's statement hurt the feelings of Christian community residing in Pakistan.
The House also offered Fateha for the departed soul of former Amir Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed. The House unanimously passed a resolution that government recommend the name of late Bashir Ahmed Bilour for Nobel Peace Prize award.