ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: The Pakistan Muslim League-N warned on Thursday that the country could face instability and economic problems if the resolution unanimously passed by parliament was not implemented in letter and in spirit.
Speaking at a news conference, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, termed the resolution “historic and a rare occasion” in the country’s parliamentary history.
“God forbid, if anyone tries to do politics or makes any compromise over this document, it will be detrimental for the country,” he warned.
“Now it is responsibility of the government to ensure implementation of the resolution without ifs and buts,” Ch Nisar said.
Indirectly hitting the Pakistan People’s Party leadership for not honouring its commitments on deposed judges, he said: “Although the track record of the government in terms of implementation of its commitments is not good, we are hopeful that the resolution will be implemented as it is not an agreement between two or three parties.”
The PML-N leader, who admitted that the document could have been improved and made more ‘proactive’, said: “We can’t afford to fail this time.”
He, however, said the unanimous resolution passed by 16 political parties or groups was a clear message to the world that the war on terror could not be won through the use of force. He said parliament had sent a clear message that the issue should be resolved through dialogue.
Ch Nisar also urged militants to hear the voice of parliament. He said that they should not harm people for “excesses committed by Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, US President George Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai”.
In reply to a question, he said: “The PML-N has no direct or indirect interaction with any militant outfit.”
He urged Speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza to constitute a parliamentary committee to oversee the process of implementation of the resolution. He, however, did not spell out any details about the structure and mandate he had in mind.
Ch Nisar asked the government to “prove within 24 to 48 hours” that it was serious about implementation of the resolution. However, when newsmen asked him whether his party was setting a deadline, he said that it would be unfair to set any deadline due to enormity of the crisis.
The PML-N leader said the resolution clearly called for reviewing foreign policy. Without elaborating, he warned that there were a few forces in the country which could try to sabotage the process initiated by parliament.
‘HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT’: Information Minister Sherry Rehman said in a statement that the consensus resolution was a “historic achievement”.
“The Oct 22 resolution is a new chapter in the parliamentary history of Pakistan. After a long time, this is a major national policy that has the endorsement of all political forces. The resolution reflects our nation’s commitment to the empowerment of the house of public representatives,” she said.
Ms Rehman said the resolution stood for a national response to terrorism. “All parliamentary forces rose above party lines to put a united front against the most important threat to our national security. The resolution closes the chapter on any ambiguities on this issue,” she added.
Ms Rehman said the parliament session was also a message to the world that Pakistan was moving steadily on the path of democracy.
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