Sanctions against Tehran to have impact on Islamabad: Malik

As the US pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Rehman Malik on Friday said that there is a need to take precautionary measures as the sanctions on Tehran would have a serious impact on Islamabad.
Speaking on a point of public importance, he said that the US sanctions would have a discernible and deleterious impact on Pakistan as there will be travel restrictions. He said that thousands of pilgrims visit Iran every year to visit holy sites and if there is a ban, it will be stopped.
The US President Donald Trump's latest move, which would go along with tough sanctions to be imposed on Tehran, is worrying the US allies as well as countries like Pakistan and India which have signed billions of dollars trade agreements with the neighboring country, he said.
"How people will travel to Iran even if the US imposes travel restrictions on Iran, and putting a ban on people who have been visiting the holy places in Iran will have serious repercussions, as no one will accept it," Malik added.
He demanded the government to inform the Senate about the steps it is going to take in face of the US sanctions on Iran as Pakistan will be directly affected as a result of the embargo.
The chairman Senate directed the Secretariat to send the verbatim of the senator to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and report back to the House about the measures to be taken in case of sanctions.
The PPP senator, while speaking on an another issue, said that extra money is charged from passengers under the pretext of variation in prices of the air tickets, which has become a matter of grave concern for the travelers as there are people who have no money expect the tickets.
"This exploitation must stop as it is a poor country. There should be no extra charges on an airlines ticket once it is purchased," he maintained.
Speaking on a point of public importance, Opposition Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman appealed the senators belonging to all political parties and those who support democracy to raise their voice in nabbing the killers of late Benazir Bhutto.
"We will appeal at every forum and knock at every door if it comes to that. The people of Pakistan, at least in the interest of their security, ought to know what happened with Benazir even if they do not honor her legacy and services for the country," she added.
She said, "We belong to the party of late Benazir Bhutto and do not believe in promoting hate-driven politics. Despite everything, we have never promoted street violence or mocked any state institution."
"Benazir's case is still pending many decades later. The police officers who washed the crime scene minutes after the incident are being promoted and five TTP hardcore terrorists who confessed of killing her were set free," she lamented.