September 21 , 2017
News
Senate asks govt to expel Swiss envoy over anti-Pakistan posters
* Senate chief says FO must strongly convey its reservations to Swiss govt over ‘terrorism being exported to Pakistan from the Swiss soil’
by Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Wednesday asked the government to expel Swiss ambassador over anti-Pakistan campaign in Switzerland.
The Senate chief observed that Foreign Office needed to take serious steps and convey its reservations to the Swiss government in strongest possible terms over ‘terrorism being exported to Pakistan from the Swiss soil’.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid while giving policy statement told the House that the ‘Free Balochistan’ posters were displayed in Switzerland this year by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He said the use of Swiss soil by a terrorist organisation for its nefarious designs against Pakistan was totally unacceptable. He said allowing the display of posters by the Swiss government in the name of freedom of expression was a serious violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity and United Nations law and charter.
Earlier, the chairman asked the minister to inform the House about government’s steps over the issue. He said that the Foreign Office should take stern action over the issue and direct the Swiss ambassador to leave Pakistan. The chairman further said that India and other terrorist organisations were behind the campaign against Pakistan in Geneva.
Zahid Hamid further told Senate that the meeting of prime minister with US vice-president was arranged on the request of the US, which was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Meanwhile, the House took up a calling attention notice about the pending approval of 7,500 sanctioned new posts for FATA which had already been approved by the FATA Secretariat and the Ministry of SAFRON.
Responding to the notice, Zahid Hamid said that requirements about new posts in FATA Secretariat had not been worked out so far. He said that officials of SAFRON Division and FATA Secretariat should sit together to work out the solution of the issue. However, Raza Rabbani referred the matter to the relevant committee of the House.
The House took another calling attention notice about the proposed installation of spying equipment on the roof of the under-construction eight-storey building of the US Embassy in Islamabad, the construction of which started without obtaining a no-objection certificate. State Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division Tariq Fazal Chaudhry replied that he had personally seen the relevant files and that the building was not being constructed in violation of the plan approved by the CDA or without obtaining an NOC.
Meanwhile, PPPP leader Sherry Rehman voiced her shock and concern over the undisclosed $700 million fine slapped by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) on Pakistan. “This was the very case that Kh Asif had taken to the NAB against Raja Parvez Ashraf. As a result of PML-N not allowing the PPP to install power stations, Pakistan was now losing taxpayers’ money in international arbitration”.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk