October 21, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 21, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Oct 20: PML-Q lawmakers’ protest and token walkout from the joint session of the two houses of parliament on Monday marred the debate on the policy on war against terror.

The PML-N and the MQM also supported the PML-Q’s protest against the registration of a fresh FIR in the Karsaz tragedy and described it as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the atmosphere in the house trying to adopt a resolution on the national security strategy.

Parliamentary Leader of the PML-Q Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, who led his party’s walkout, said at the outset of the proceedings that registration of the second FIR was a clear sign that the PPP government was deviating from its commitment of national reconciliation and treading the path of political victimisation.

After the PML-Q lawmakers left the house, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced that neither was Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi nominated in the FIR nor would he be implicated in the case.

He said he could not betray the lawmakers who had unanimously elected him as leader of the house and he would not allow anyone to resort to the political victimisation.

PPP chief whip Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik and Saad Rafiq of the PML-N persuaded the angry lawmakers to return to the house.

PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha said: “We have showed maximum restraint against all administrative excesses against our workers, but today our leadership has also come under attack which we cannot tolerate.”

Prof Khurshid Ahmed of the Jamaat-i-Islami termed the military and civilian briefing and answers to lawmakers’ questions “incomplete and half-cooked” and said these would not serve the purpose for which the joint session was summoned.

He accused the government of following the policy of former dictator Gen (retd) Musharraf and said it was more in the interest of the US and its allies than Pakistan.

PPP Senator Babar Awan stressed the need for reviewing all aspects of the war on terror to frame a national policy on it by consolidating all points of views emerging form the debate in parliament. However, he said the government would not allow militants to kill people, including children and women.

According to a handout issued by the speaker’s secretariat after the joint session: “The in-camera joint sitting of parliament continued discussion on law and order and security in the country today with National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza in the chair. Members from all political parties in the Senate and National Assembly participated in the discussion. The session continued for three-and-a-half hours. The sitting was adjourned till 11am on Tuesday”.