News
Saturday, October 01, 2011
PML-N doubts govt intention to deal with key issuesNawaz wants consensus bailout plan for country
* PML-N chief says all stakeholders must sit together to devise national agenda for 10 to 20 years
* Govt should set up committee proposed in resolution for its implementation
By Tanvir Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: While expressing doubts about the intention of government in dealing with the key national issues, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Friday called for formulation of a 10-20 year long-term national agenda with consensus of all political parties and other stakeholders to steer the country out of the quagmire it is in presently.
Terming the All-Parties Conference (APC), held on Thursday to forge a national stance against US allegations, a “good message” for the external world, Nawaz said, “I have serious reservations about the government and its policies to deal with the issues pertaining to national security, but participated in the APC to give a strong message that the nation is united against the external threats.”
He said that although his party had severed ties with the government for quite some time but it would have been inappropriate to skip the conference which aimed at dealing with the national issues. Briefing the media about the stance of the party presented at the APC, Nawaz said that he laid emphasis on the terms of engagement (ToE) with the United States in the war on terror and asked for disclosing them.
He said despite being an ally in the war on terror, Pakistan was being subjected to allegations. He said that he also demanded in the APC that the ToRs be made public, as according to the official figures Pakistan has suffered $69 billion loss and its 35,000 people and armed forces personnel have lost their lives in the war on terror. “We are being treated like a ‘criminal’ and the world is watching us suspiciously despite rendering matchless sacrifices”, he remarked. Referring to the unanimous resolution passed by the APC, he said it would be debated in parliament, which would then decide whether to approve it in its present form or make amendments to it. While lamenting the non-implementation of previous resolutions, the PML-N chief called upon the government to immediately constitute the committee proposed in the APC resolution for its implementation.
On the Abbottabad incident, Nawaz said he asked the APC whether it was not a serious violation of the country’s sovereignty, adding that it was unfortunate that President Zardari had written a ‘welcoming’ article in foreign media on the incident.
The PML-N chief said that he also questioned the release of Raymond Davis in suspicious circumstances. He further said that he had told the APC that the time has come to stop “begging” for the sake of self-respect and independent policies. Nawaz said that unfortunately the present regime has damaged democracy by “its corruption and bad governance”.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk