ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said Parliament will decide the matter of new terms of engagement with the United States, NATO and ISAF, in a respectful manner, as the whole world was waiting for this decision.
He said this parliamentary process and the recommendations of the parliamentary committee were being appreciated and viewed with great respect by the whole world.
The Prime Minister expressed these views while chairing an important meeting of the Parliamentary leaders here at the PM House, to evolve a consensus regarding resolution of the Parliament on policy recommendations for future course with US and NATO.
The meeting was attended by Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, Leader of the Opposition in NA Ch. Nisar Ali Khan, Leader of Opposition in Senate Ishaq Dar, PML-Q Chief Ch. Shujaat Hussain, Mushahid Hussain Syed, JUI Chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of MQM in NA Syed Haidar Abbas Rizvi, ANP leader Afrasiab Khattak, Kalsoom Parveen, FATA Parliamentary Leader in NA Haji Munir Khan Orakzai, Senator Muzaffar Shah, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Shah, Minister for Finance Hafeez Shaikh, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar and Senator Mian Raza Rabbani.
Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, DG ISI, Lt.Gen. Zaheer ul Islam, Pakistan's Ambassador in US Ms Sherry Rehman also attended the meeting.
The Prime Minister appreciated the role and hard-work of Parliamentary Committee on National Security for finalizing the recommendations, adding, the Parliamentary Committee has given its input, which is now property of the House, which has to take a decision.
He said the whole world is waiting for the decision of the parliament. "It is not a matter of US alone, but 48 countries," Gilani added.
The Prime Minister, however, stressed that as it (the new terms of engagement with US and NATO) was a matter of national importance and pertains to national security, the decision should be taken with consensus.
"The role of parliamentary leaders is very important, as your vision will determine the future line of action," he added.
The Prime Minister also recalled that after Salala incident on November 26 last year, a meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) was convened, in which it was decided to suspend the NATO supply lines and to get Shamsi airbase vacated, adding, the government had also boycotted the Bonn Conference.
The matter was then referred to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for formulating recommendations for new terms of engagement with the US, NATO and ISAF, he added.
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