ISLAMABAD - The political leadership Tuesday showed unprecedented unity, with all and sundry putting their weight behind the government, and would come up with a strong and clear message to India at a joint session of the parliament to be held tomorrow.
At the heels of Indian intrusion into Pakistani airspace the political leadership across the divide joined hands to come up with a unified response to New Delhi for this aggression and in this connection the civil and military leadership would give an in-camera briefing to Parliament today so that a consensus way forward would be evolved.
The treasury and opposition parliamentarians, who were at daggers drawn a day before in the National Assembly, set aside their political differences and converged to give a unified response to the neighbouring India.
Main opposition parties’ leaders including Syed Khursheed Shah, Kh Asif and others came up with the offer of unequivocal support to government in this situation and suggested to call the joint sitting of the Parliament, which was duly accepted by the government, and joint sitting of the Parliament is called on Thursday afternoon.
Sources aware of the developments taking place in the post-Indian intrusion scenario said Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and some other senior ministers including Pervaiz Khattak and Asad Umar had approached the key opposition leaders to take them into confidence on the government endeavours at the diplomatic and military front.
In consultation with the opposition parties’ leaders it was decided that the Parliament would be given a detailed briefing by the civil and military leadership on the ground situation and the measures government was taking by engaging world capitals and brotherly Islamic states on the breach of international border and aggression by the Indian side.
In the in-camera meeting, the Parliamentarians would also be taken into confidence on the Pakistan Army capacity to strike back and the steps being put in place to thwart such intrusion in future.
While Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi would take the MPs into confidence on the steps being taken by the government on diplomatic front to expose the Indian hostile designs which had endangered the regional peace.
After having briefing from the civil and military leadership the parliamentarians would be in a better position to debate on the issue in the joint sitting of the Parliament to be held on Thursday afternoon and most probably on conclusion of the debate a clear and strong message having the backing and approval of both treasury and opposition would be given to India.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had already empowered Pakistan Army to respond to any aggression from across the border but the Pakistan Army was adopting restraint.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had already called the meeting of National Command Authority today which would be held before the in-camera briefing to the Parliamentarians so that various options would be placed before the Parliamentarians in case of further escalation of situation by India.
Main opposition parties would also be holding their separate meetings ahead of taking the in-camera briefing from the civil and military leadership and there seemed consensus in both PPP and PML-N to put their weight behind the government in this time of trial, the position the central leadership of both these parties had expressed on the floor of the Parliament yesterday.