New terms of engagement with US: long-awaited joint session summoned

President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday summoned the long-awaited joint session of the Parliament for Tuesday to take up the recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) regarding Islamabad's new terms of engagement with Washing-ton in the wake of last year's Nato attack on Pakistani border post in Mohmand Agency.
"The President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan has summoned the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in joint sitting to meet in Parliament House, Islamabad on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 11:00 am," said a press release issued here.
It further said that the President has summoned the joint session in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 54 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
According to parliamentary sources, the joint sitting of the parliament after thorough debate will approve new terms of engagement with US and Nato/ISAF.
The 18-member PCNS comprising representatives of all political parties in the parliament submitted its recommendations to Speaker National Assembly on February 14, which mostly include Islamabad's shift in the foreign policy particularly towards Washington and its allies in the wake of November 26, 2011 Nato air-strike on Salala border post.
The special sitting of the parliament will also decide the issue of Nato supplies that have been blocked as per the decision of Defence Committee of the Cabinet following the Salala attack.
According to sources Pakistan has put on hold visits of some high profile US dignitaries including US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman till the parliament takes final decision on the new terms of engagement.