PESHAWAR, Jan 23: The NWFP Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the United States air strike in Bajaur Agency and demanding that the government take the issue to international forums and declare the US ambassador persona non grata.
In the beginning of the session, Anwar Kamal Khan Marwat of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) on a point of order requested Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan to suspend the routine business of the house under Rule 240 and allow him to present a resolution against the US airstrike in Bajaur Agency on the night of Jan 13.
Bashir Ahmed Bilour of the Awami National Party and Maulana Amanat Shah of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal joined him and proposed some amendments in the text of the resolution.
The speaker allowed them to table a joint resolution.
The assembly, through the resolution, condemned the US missile attacks in Damadola village of Bajaur Agency and urged the government to abandon its pro-US policy and provide protection to its citizens.
It said the government adopted a very weak approach against the airstrike, which was an open violation of international laws and sovereignty of the state.
It asked the government to declare the US ambassador persona non grata and recall its envoy from Washington in protest against violation of the country’s air space and killing of innocent citizens.
Bashir Bilour proposed amendments to the resolution stating that the victims should be compensated, while Maulana Amanat demanded that the US should publicly apologize to the people of Pakistan, particularly tribesmen of Bajaur Agency.
Zubaida Khatoon of the MMA suggested an amendment to the resolution, saying that the government should raise the issue on international forums like the United Nations Security Council and the Organization of Islamic Conference.
Naeema Kishwar of the MMA demanded that the government should allow political leaders and journalists to visit Bajaur so that the situation there could be presented to the nation.
Anwar Kamal said the brutal and inhuman missile attacks by US planes had created unrest and fear among local people and caused widespread protest and anger across the country but the government initially expressed its ignorance about the airstrike and when the US administration disclosed that it had informed Islamabad about the raids, it adopted silence over the issue.
Mr Bilour said a delegation of the ANP was stopped at Yaka Ghund and not allowed to enter the tribal areas to see the situation there.
He said foreign terrorists were not guests of local people but of government agencies. He said the fire that started in South Waziristan might spread if proper steps were not taken in this regard.
Maulana Amanat said peaceful people protesting against the airstrike were tear-gassed and baton-charged.
The house opened debate on the Annual Development Programme.
Khalil Abbas of the ANP, Anwar Kamal of the PML-N, Mureed Kazim of the Pakistan People’s Party and Qalandar Lodhi of the PML criticized the provincial government for using allocations for schemes under the ADP for political purpose.
