NA unanimously approves resolution against drone strikes in Pakistan
Naeema Kishwar of Jamaat-e-Islami and others tabled resolution against US drone attacks in Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to US drone attacks on Pakistani territory.
The resolution strongly condemned the US drone attacks saying these constitute violation of the principles of the Charter of United Nations‚ international laws and humanitarian norms.
Speaking on the resolution Minister for States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Lt General Abdul Qadir Baloch said the incumbent government has strongly opposed the drone strikes from day one and maintained that these amount to violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
He said the government is using diplomatic channels for the halting of drone attacks as these are counter-productive for peace and security in the region.
The Minister regretted that some political parties resorted to sit-ins and other political gimmicks on the matter. He said their tactics have proved counter-productive during the last ten and fifteen days. He said we need to adopt appropriate diplomatic channels.
Leader of Pakistan Tehrik Insaf (PTI) Arif Alvi said the whole nation is against the drone strikes. He said that PTI was not politicising the drone issue and rejected allegations against his party.
Alvi clarified that his party blocked NATO’s supplies to express resentment on drone attacks and this move has no political motives.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his address to the UN General Assembly spoke on the issue of drone only for 20 seconds.
The National Assembly passed another resolution urging the government to take steps to alleviate poverty from the country.
The House also passed two resolutions urging the government to establish a university in Hyderabad and an agriculture university in Sahiwal.
Speaking on the resolutions‚ Minister of State for Education Muhammad Balighur Rehman said Pakistan is lagging behind in higher education and there is a dire need for establishment of universities in public and private sectors to enhance percentage of higher education from eight to fifteen percent.
Chaudhry Hamid Hameed of PM-N tabled a resolution against sale of imported liquor in Pakistan. The House rejected the resolution.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah has strongly opposed the privatization of state institutions including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills (PIA).
Addressing the National Assembly session Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khurshid Shah termed it as an anti-labour and anti-worker step.
Responding to the criticism of Pakistan Peoples Party on privatization of PIA and Steel Mills‚ Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan said privatization of the institutions was part of his party’s election manifesto on the basis of which the nation elected the party to power.
He said it is not a government’s job to run businesses rather to extend facilities for promotion of business activities. He said the government plans to privatize 31 entities.
In the past also 170 institutions including fertilizer and ghee companies were privatized and the employees of these organizations were given protection.
It is worth mentioning here that the government plans to privatize 31 entities including PIA and PSM.
