HYDERABAD, July 26: People's Party Parliamentarians chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has called for formation of a commission to probe the Kargil affair.
Speaking to journalists at a wedding ceremony here, the PPP leader said it was an important issue and its details should be made public.
He, however, said that only Mian Nawaz Sharif who headed the government at that time would be able to say if he was 'on board' when the Kargil adventure took place. He said ministers in the present government would oppose the formation of any such commission and describe it as an unimportant issue to save themselves for being thrown into an awkward position.
Mr Fahim opposed the idea of sending troops to Iraq and said the government's statement that any such move would depend on parliament's approval indicated that the government had decided to send troops.
He said that in view of the situation in Iraq, sending troops to that country would tantamount to playing with fire. Asked if his party would boycott the by-election in Tharparkar, he said it would be premature to answer the question at this stage.
He observed that his party was not concerned if the army would be asked to supervise Thar by-election. He said the way the election process had been started in the district, the outcome of the poll could be predicted.
He, however, said the army should not get involved in the matter. Referring to the sale of Surrey Palace, the Ursus tractor issue and charges levelled by the National Accountability Bureau against party chairperson Benazir Bhutto, her mother Nusrat Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Fahim said the PPP had disowned the property and the findings of the examining magistrate had been quashed by a Swiss court.
Despite that, he said, the government had spent a lot of money to achieve what it wanted on the matter. The PPP leader condemned what he called excesses committed against peasants of the Okara military farm and supported a recent report of the Human Rights Watch in this regard. He maintained that killings on any pretext could not be condoned and a legislation to stop such incidents was necessary.
About the parliamentary committee on water resources, Mr Fahim said he would advise Senator Nisar Memon to first choose his constituency and avoid taking such decisions. He added that dictatorships always patronized people who had no standing among the masses.
On the Kashmir issue, he said it was just the beginning of a negotiation process which had so far facilitated travel of people on both sides. He supported inclusion of Kashmiri people in the dialogue.
About a 'fact sheet' released by the Pakistan Muslim League, the PPP leader said charges were being levelled against the party for eight years but nothing had been proved so far.
Answering a question about a proposed legislation against people who level false corruption allegations, he said the government functionaries would be first to be punished. He said Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain should honour his words because he was on record as having observed that the narcotics case against Mr Zardari was false.
