January 24, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 23, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The opposition senators on Monday condemned the government for stopping parliamentarians from entering Bajaur Agency and alleged that the regime had done so to hide certain facts.

Speaking at a news conference after staging a walkout from the Senate, Farhatullah Khan Babar of People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Raza Mohammad Raza of Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party and Prof Ghafoor Ahmed and Maulana Gul Naseeb of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) regretted that the government did not allow the opposition leaders to even offer fateha for those killed in the US bombing on January 13.

Mr Babar said that this action of the government had made it abundantly clear that it wanted to hide certain facts.

He also criticized the government for adopting an apologetic attitude vis a vis the Bajaur incident. He said Gen Musharraf had not uttered even a single word to condemn the US attack, as he was hand in hand with the US.

Mr Babar said the government was aware of the US plan even before the attack, as the US newspapers had reported that “Pakistani intelligence as well as the government were on board” in the Bajaur operation. He demanded that a parliamentary delegation be immediately sent to the Bajaur Agency on a fact- finding mission.

Prof Ghafoor said that the purpose of the delegation’s visit was to express solidarity with the tribal people and offer fateha for those killed in the US attack. He said the opposition members did not want to boycott the Senate proceedings and only wanted to stage a token walkout but they had to point out lack of quorum when they saw empty treasury benches.

Maulana Gul Naseeb said that the US considered Pakistan as its colony and carried out operations at its choice. He said they were not expecting that the government would allow parliamentarians to visit Bajaur Agency. He said parliament and other democratic institutions had become powerless and could not play any role.