Senators criticise Hillary’s ‘threatening’ statement

Defence minister says only FM authorised to speak over the issue
Salim Saifullah says Faisal saga seems 'a conspiracy'

By Tahir Niaz

ISLAMABAD: Urging the government to adopt a clear policy on the threatening statement of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan in the case of Faisal Shahzad, senators on Monday said the government should present its stance to the US.

On a point of order, PML-N's Zafar Ali Shah said Clinton had bluntly threatened Pakistan of 'dire consequences' in Faisal Shahzad's case although Pakistan had faced severe losses being on the frontline in the war on terror.

Terming it a serious issue, he sought the government's stance from Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who was reluctant to comment, saying the government had only authorised the foreign minister to speak over the issue due to its sensitivity.

Shah criticised Pakistan's foreign policy, saying the foreign minister himself seemed to be publicly defending India by saying it was not violating the Indus Water Treaty. "We should face the US by taking a similar stance instead of bowing down to pressures," he demanded.

Conspiracy: Senator Salim Saifullah of the PML-Q said Clinton's statement is condemnable, particularly after the recent strategic dialogue between the two countries. He said the Faisal Shahzad saga seems a conspiracy, as he personally knows his family members. He also urged the defence minister to present an official statement in parliament and give a clear message to the US.

The PML-Q's Haroon Khan pointed out that Pakistan should pressurise the US, as Faisal Shahzad was not a Pakistani citizen and he had used his American passport while carrying out the act.

Dramas: The JUI-F's Maulana Haideri said the House should pass a unanimous resolution to condemn Clinton's statement. He said the September 11 incident and the recent Faisal Shahzad case were both "dramas" staged by the US to target Pakistan again.

Earlier, JUI-F senators had walked out in protest against the military operation in Kala Dhaka of Mansehra division and demanded the government immediately end it.

However, the Awami National Party's Afrasiab Khattak countered the claim by saying that there is no such operation in Kala Dhaka, but local police and Frontier Corps are engaged in a search operation to eliminate terrorists that have come from Malakand division. He said the search operation is being conducted with the help of local elders.

On a point of order, Tahir Hussain Mashhadi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement raised the issue of land grabbing in Karachi, terming it an "institutionalised land grabbing" with the help of local administration and police.