ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) of Pakistan comprising of both houses of the Parliament – the National Assembly and the Senate – approved recommendations that may create further tension between Pakistan and the United States, as Pakistan parliament has demanded an apology from the US government for killing 24 of its soldiers on November 26, 2011 in an attack on Pakistani soil, and also for deciding that any foreign military will not be allowed to use bases on Pakistani soil. A complete withdrawal of drone attacks in the tribal belt has also been recommended.
Recommendations that have been approved by all political parties decided that foreign written agreements would also be tabled in the parliament within three days. Foreign operatives would not be allowed to work in Pakistan. This development has actually taken away the powers of foreign affairs decision-making from the Pakistan Army for the first time in the history of Pakistan. The report was approved unanimously by all members of the committee.
According to details, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security presented its revised report before the joint session of Parliament on Thursday. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, PCNS Chairman Raza Rabbani said the revised report was approved unanimously by all members of the committee.
The revised report calls for future relations with the US to be based on mutual interest, an immediate end to drone attacks, along with not allowing the country or its airspace to be used for the transportation of weapons into Afghanistan.
The committee recommended that Pakistan should seek an unconditional apology from the US over the NATO attack and action should be taken against those responsible. “The US should also give assurance that such attacks do not take place in the future,” Rabbani said while reading out the recommendations in Parliament.
No overt or covert operations in Pakistan would be allowed, nor will foreign countries be allowed to establish bases in the country. The PCNS also recommended that no private security companies or operatives be allowed in Pakistan.
The committee called for an end to verbal agreements with other countries and that the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets not be compromised.
It may mentioned that former President Gen. Musharaf allowed NATO forces verbally, without any written contract, to use 3 bases in Pakistan for the war against terror, and when the Pakistan government last year asked the US government to leave Shamsi air base, it was revealed that no written agreement was ever done and the whole war against terror was followed by Pakistan on the verbal contract between Gen. Mushraf and US authorities.
