JI's Professor Khurshid quits PCNS

WASIM IQBAL & TAHIR AMIN

ISLAMABAD: Professor Khurshid Ahmad resigned from his membership of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on Friday to protest the resumption of the drone attacks inside tribal areas of Pakistan.

At the conclusion of the PCNS, Chairman Committee Senator Raza Rabbani confirmed that Senator Khurshid, who had submitted a dissenting note in the committee meeting, resigned following his party's reaction or lack thereof on drone strikes.

The matter came up in the Corps Commander meeting recently held in GHQ. Taking note of overall security situation in Pakistan, the corps commanders expressed serious concerns over the continuation of drone strikes. However, no statement was issued publicly by ISPR.

The government's silence over US drone attacks inside tribal areas have raised questions over its seriousness to implement the recommendations of PCNS, pending approval by the parliament.

Talking to Business Recorder Professor Khurshid Ahmad said that he was not attending the PCNS since January 14, 2012. "I have reservations over the drone attacks in the tribal areas and I will speak in the joint session on this issue", he added.

Prof. Ahmad refused to comment on the draft proposals of the parliamentary panel, saying, "I don't see that the fate of these recommendations would be different from that of unanimously adopted resolution of parliament against the drone attacks in the past".

Prof. Ahmad, who is representing Jamaat-e-Islami was not confident that the government would seriously pursue the recommendations.

Since November 26 NATO air strike on security check posts that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers leading to the Pakistan's decision to revisit US-Pakistan relations the US has conducted five drone attacks in the tribal areas.

It has been reported in the media that the US Ambassador Cameron Munter conceded that his mission had obtained details of the recommendations of the Raza Rabbani led PCNS. This report has yet to reach the office of Prime Minister Gilani. "I have seen the recommendations and they are looking forward in the sense and impressed upon the desire that the sovereignty of Pakistan must be respected and its integrity should not be put in question," the US Ambassador was quoted as saying.

According to Institute of Peace Studies Islamabad, drone strikes began in FATA in 2004. So far as many as 306 attacks have been reported resulting in the death of 2,509 suspected militants and 1,078 injured. More than 80 percent of these attacks have been carried out in North Waziristan Agency. In terms of number of attacks and casualties 2010 was the deadliest year in which 135 reported drone strikes left 961 suspected militants dead and 383 others wounded. In 2011 these strikes decreased to 75, which left 557 suspected militants dead and 153 injured in 2011. While in 2012 four drone attacks left 15 militants dead and two injured.