The decision to adopt a unified stand was taken by leaders of the opposition parties during a meeting at the residence of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.               —AFP Photo

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, major opposition parties announced on Saturday that they would adopt a 'unified stance' at the joint sitting of parliament which is deliberating on new terms of engagement with the United States.

The decision to adopt a unified stand was taken by leaders of the opposition parties during a meeting at the residence of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. It came two days before the opening of a debate on the 16-point recommendations made by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on Pakistan-US relations. The recommendations focus on resumption of Nato supplies to Afghanistan through Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, chief of his own faction of the Pakistan People's Party, and a number of key members of the JUI-F and PML (Likeminded).

The much-awaited report of the all-party PCNS, presented by its chairman Senator Raza Rabbani during a joint sitting of the National Assembly and Senate on March 20, called upon the United States to "review its footprint" in Pakistan. It included calls for US and Nato forces in Afghanistan to pay charges for the transit of their supplies via Pakistan, an "unconditional" US apology for a deadly attack on Pakistani border posts in November and a halt to drone attacks in the country's tribal areas.

The presentation of the report set off speculations about whether the recommendations could be adopted unanimously as had happened on some domestic issues in the past.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chaudhry Nisar said all opposition parties had decided to adopt a unified stance at the joint sitting of parliament and a strategy would be thrashed out at another meeting before start of Monday's session.

"We will go to the session with an open mind, but will not allow the government or any of its officials to hijack (parliament)," he said, adding that the opposition was ready to cooperate with the government in "the larger national interest" if it wanted to seek guidance from parliament "in the real sense". Soon after presentation of the PCNS report in parliament, opposition parties criticised it and warned that they would not allow the government to get it approved in the same form. Chaudhry Nisar went to the extent of describing the report as a 'weak' document, although it carried the signatures of his own party representatives -- Ishaq Dar and Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan -- and members of other opposition parties.

In what appeared to be a face-saving move, the opposition members have now started using the term "working paper" for PCNS proposals.

Asked why opposition members, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Aftab Sherpao, had put their signatures on the PCNS report if they had any reservations, Chaudhry Nisar said parliamentary committees could not be a substitute for parliament itself.

He claimed that the opposition representatives had objected to certain recommendations during the committee's in-camera proceedings. He asked the media not to create 'confusion' about the matter.

At this point, Maulana Fazl, who himself is a signatory to the PCNS report, stepped in, claiming that he had raised objections to some points during the proceedings, but was told by the government members that time for expressing reservations would come after the document was placed before parliament.

The opposition avoided making any statement about its strategy if the government decides to restore supplies for the Nato troops in Afghanistan.

In reply to a question, Maulana Fazl said the government should include the opposition's proposals while finalising recommendations in order to show that the document enjoyed a unanimous support.

He alleged that the ruling coalition wanted to take advantage of its numerical strength in parliament, warning that the opposition would not allow it to do so. "If the government tries to get approval of its own (through parliament) on the strength of its majority, it will be regarded a government decision, and not that of parliament," the JUI-F chief said. The opposition would not allow the government to use parliament for rubber-stamping its decisions. ARBAB RAHIM: Chaudhry Nisar criticised a decision of the Sindh Assembly to terminate the membership of former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim for being absent from its sessions.

He disclosed that at the time of negotiations on the 20th Amendment, the PPP had assured the PML-N that Mr Rahim would be appointed leader of opposition in the Sindh Assembly. "We will lodge a forceful protest over the move (against Arbab Rahim)."