Parliamentary body refuses to attend briefing at GHQ

ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Tuesday refused to attend briefing meeting at General Headquarters (GHQ). The briefing meeting was scheduled to be held on security situation and Pak-US relation in the backdrop of serious allegations levelled by American officials against Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for alleged connection with Haqqani network.

The parliamentary panel, which met with Senator Mian Raza Rabbani in the chair here at Parliament House, while terming the briefing at GHQ beyond its terms of reference, unanimously decided not to attend the briefing arranged on the suggestion of Army Chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani to brief the parliamentary panels on the national security following a serious deterioration in US-Pakistan relations.

Besides, the meeting was attended by members including Afrasiyab Khattak, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi, Sherry Rehman, Prof. Khurshid Ahmed and Abdul Rahim Khan Mandokhel. The Parliamentary Committee on National Security along with standing committees on defence of both National Assembly and Senate, and Senate standing committee on foreign affairs were invited for a briefing on country's security situation and other related issues at the GHQ on October 13 (Thursday).

However, talking to reporters after the meeting, Rabbani said the committee unanimously decided not to attend the briefing at the HGQ and also postponed the briefing it was to be taken from Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office on the US allegations against the ISI as well as the accusation by Afghan government pertaining to assassination of former Afghan President and chairman High Peace Council Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani.

He recalled that the committee was formed through a resolution passed by a joint sitting of the Parliament on October 22, 2008, saying the terms of reference of the panel was also enunciated in the resolution. "In view of the fact that the defence committees of both the houses are being briefed by the ministry of defence on October 13, 2011, the panel decided to defer its today's briefing to a later date that is mutually convenient," he added.

Beside, the US and Afghan allegations, the committee was to be briefed on security situation, Islamabad-Washington relations and the challenges being faced by the country following the serious accusations against Pakistan military and its intelligence agency.

In its previous meeting held on Oct 03, the parliamentary committee on National Security came up with a clear stance saying that no boots on the ground will be tolerated by the Pakistani nation and had asked the US to adopt the path of dialogue instead of 'rhetoric' allegations.