Haqqani's assertions: Asif for formation of commission

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif Wednesday demanded the formations of a parliamentary commission to investigate the assertions made by former ambassador Hussain Haqqani in his write-up carried by the Washington Post. In the Haqqani admitted facilitating the stationing of American special operations and intelligence personnel on Pakistani soil and forging links that eventually allowed Washington to carry out the raid in Abbottabad to eliminate Osama bin Laden.
Khawaja Asif, while speaking on the floor of National Assembly, said that a parliamentary commission should be constituted to hold an investigation into what the former US ambassador had claimed in his article. Opposition parties, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) agreed with the Minister, saying the reports of Abbottabad Commission and the Memogate should be made public.
They said that the issues like Memogate, Abbottabad Commission report, issuance of visas to US nationals and unsuitable expenditures by Haqqani during his tenure as ambassador should be discussed and investigated. Opposition Leader in national Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that his party has no problems with the formation of a parliamentary commission but it should also take up the matters like the Memogate Scandal, Dawn leaks and who had links with Osama and facilitated him.
The Minister said, "The article written by Haqqani is directly related to our national security; it has hurled allegations against two most important functionaries of the state and needs to be investigated by a Parliamentary Commission to ascertain the facts.
"Not only this article but also the issuance of visas and issue of unsuitable expenses worth US$6 million for which no clue was found, needed proper investigation," he added. "The facts stated in his article were never denied or challenged the PPP leadership at highest level. We think it is breach of national security and needs to be investigated," he added.
"The opposition leader should not get rid of this issue by terming Haqqani as a traitor. I will give a detailed statement on this issue on Monday,'he added. Asif said that that parliamentary commission could also seek the report of Abbottabad Commission and others. Khursheed Shah said, "Such an investigation will strengthen the Parliament. These issues should be settled once for all," he added.
Shafqat Mahmood and Arif Alvi of PTI supported this proposal, saying the proceeding of the parliamentary commission should be open to media. Alvi said that there is no need to discuss the report of Memogate and Abbotabad Commission, adding these reports are lying on the table of the Prime Minister and he should make them public. Sheikh Salahuddin of MQM said that Haqqani held key position and had relations with the officials of the other countries. He said, "Today there is a question mark on the national security of the country which should be probed".