Senators Call U.S.
Operation a Breach of Pakistan Sovereignty
"Senator
Raja Zafarul Haq said the incident would have a far-reaching impact, adding
that the alleged ignorance of the country’s intelligence agencies was a huge
failure on their part, and that Pakistan’s enemies would now exploit the
incident. He then referred to a statement by the Indian home minister, who said
that Pakistan was a sanctuary for terrorists."
ISLAMABAD: On Monday,
opposition Senators called the U.S. operation to kill Osama bin Laden a breach
of Pakistan's national sovereignty. On a point of order, Senator Ishaq Dar, Parliament
leader of the Pakistan
Muslim League, said “The operation by U.S. forces in an area of the
country with military installations raises many questions”.
Senator WasimSajjad, who is to resign as Senate opposition
leader, was not present; nor were his other Pakistan Muslim League colleagues,
who were perhaps busy preparing for an oath-taking ceremony at the presidential
office.
Dar said that President Obama had
stated that U.S. forces participated in the operation without informing Pakistan,
while no categorical statement in this regard has come from the Pakistani
government. Through the chair, he asked the prime minister to come to the
House and inform the nation of the facts.
Senator Khurshid Ahmed of the
Jamaat-e-Islami
said that the arrival of U.S. Marines in Pakistan and their activity on
Pakistani soil was a serious issue, and that all of the facts relating to the
Abbottabad incident should be made public. He said that for the last ten years,
in the name of the "war on terror," state terrorism had been
conducted in the country. He also said that he regretted that the president, prime
minister and Inter
Services Public Relations were nott issuing statements about what was clearly
a breach of the nation's sovereignty.
Senator Ahmed said that it
is wrong to assume that the so-called war against terror would come to an
end after the killing of Osama Bin Laden. He also asked the prime minister to
take the nation into his confidence about the incident.
Senator Raja Zafarul Haq said
the incident would have a far-reaching impact, adding that the alleged
ignorance of the country’s intelligence agencies was a huge failure on their
part, and that Pakistan’s enemies would now exploit the incident. He then referred
to a statement by the Indian home minister, who said that Pakistan was a
sanctuary for terrorists.
Senator Zafarul Haq called on
the prime minister to come to the House before undertaking his upcoming foreign
tour. Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb said that this was a drama being staged to
shift both attention, and the war, away from Afghanistan toward Pakistan.
“After destroying
Afghanistan, the world wants to play the same game in Pakistan,” he said. Senator
Abdul Rahim Mandokhel commented that it was high time for the country to be purged
of foreign elements.
Pakistan Muslim League
Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah said he regretted that foreign forces had acted
inside a military zone within Pakistan, and also regretted that the army chief remains silent.
“The prime minister should tell the House about what has been happening,” he
stated.
Responding to the points of
order, House leader Nayyar Bokhari replied that he had conveyed the concerns of
members to the prime minister. He added that those who had brought the U.S.
presence to Pakistan in the first place,were the ones now expressing concerns about America's
[alleged] presence.
