'Parliament should use its mandate to oversee national security issues'

Speakers at a seminar have suggested that the Parliament should fully use its mandate and constitutional powers to oversee the defence and national security along with other issues of vital importance to avert Abbottabad like happenings in future.
The seminar was arranged by Pildat here on Tuesday to discuss the issue of parliament and national security, in the backdrop of Pildat report on the performance of the Parliamentary Committees of Defence and the National Security during the first 3 years of the 13th National Assembly of Pakistan.
The participants were of the view that Osama bin Laden's existence in Pakistan is a big lapse of security agencies and the military should give answer to the public on this failure. They said that the problem lies within the political parties which lack basic systems and focus on policies. Parliamentarians have no say in budget making, defence or foreign policy. Experts believed that broad national paradigm is missing in policy making, Parliament and government should develop a new security policy and re-negotiate the security co-operation with USA. They stressed that multiple centres of power should be replaced with one rightful institution of Parliament that should lead the policy debate inside Pakistan.
Syed Talat Hussain, senior analyst, said that the parliamentary committee system has the essential powers to work effectively but those powers need to be put into practice. "Parliamentarians have the authority, to hold government and state's security apparatus accountable, if there is political will," he said. Public representatives have never discussed in detail the parameters of defence and security policies, it appears. He questioned the capabilities and focus of parliamentarians even in areas other than security and defence which are under their domain.
Other speakers included Shagufta Sadiq, MNA, Member National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence, Amir Ali Magsi, MNA, Member National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence and Lieutenant General (Retd.) Talat Masood, defence analyst and former Federal Secretary Defence Production.
There was a consensus among the participants that Parliament and political government lack the political will to hold security and defence sector accountable, many also raised issues such as reluctance of the security establishment as the key reason, to be made accountable. There was agreement that the background of the killing of Osama bin Laden on our sovereign soil and security lapses offers a crucial opportunity for internal debate, soul searching and possibility of apportioning responsibility and exercising civilian and democratic control on the defence sector. There was also agreement that until Parliament asks the exact details of Pakistan's written or agreed understanding of co-operation with the United States, a meaningful contribution towards developing a national paradigm on national security is not possible.
Shagufta Sadiq, MNA, member National Assembly Standing Committee on defence, said that defence standing committee is not only looking into defence matters but also other related issues like PIA or CAA. She said that institutions should be strengthened, and not only defence but all parliamentary committees and Parliament should be empowered. Lieutenant General Talat Masood (Retd), was of the view that defence committees can only be effective if Parliament and civilian government have the knowledge and expertise. He said that if military wants to defend the country, it can only do so with strong democracy.
Aamir Ali Khan Magsi, MNA, said that Committees have wide powers to summon any person or documents. He believed there is progress on establishing and exercising Parliamentary control on defence, though it is a slow process. Parliament needs to ask questions from security agencies on the failure to locate Osama bin Laden.