ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in Senate, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan Tuesday criticized the PML-N government and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for not taking the upper house of Parliament in confidence over counter-terror measures in the aftermath of deadly Taliban attack on Peshawar school.

He said the opposition parties were ready to cooperate with the government for exterminating the menace of terrorism, if seriousness from the rulers is witnessed.

Speaking on a point of order, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader said the interior minister should take the house into confidence on the issue of terrorism. “The house must be taken into confidence by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif himself or the interior minister,” he added.

Commenting on reports that ongoing debate on Peshawar tragedy would be wound up on Wednesday by State Minister for Interior Balighur Rehman, he said the opposition respects the state minister but the opposition demands Interior Minister Nisar to do it.

Aitzaz Ahsan stressed that current atmosphere of reconciliation and broad consensus must not be vitiated.

Criticising Chaudhry Nisar, he said the minister was heading 12 out of 17 committees constituted to monitor or implement the National Plan of Action (NAP).

Senator Raza Rabbani asked Chairman Senate to constitute a committee of senators for monitoring the progress in implementation on National Action Plan.

Col (retd) Tahir Mashhadi of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) said the debate on Peshawar Tragedy is going on in the Senate for the last so many days, but not a single officer of Interior ministry was taking notes.

‘Block unregistered SIMs for terror elimination’

Meanwhile, Senator Robina Khalid demanded blocking of all unregistered subscriber identification modules (SIMs) as they were being used by terrorists.

Participating in the debate in Senate, she said the government should take action against the cellular companies, who are issuing SIMs without registration.

Khalid said also demanded prompt action against Lal Masjid’s cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz for his pro-Taliban stance.

Senator Saeed Ghani of PPP said that the whole nation was in deep shock and grief over the sad demise of 134 innocent children at Army Public School in Peshawar. He strongly condemned the incident and said it perturbed him and every citizen of the country felt sorrow over the killings of children.

Ghani said the terrorism had engulfed the whole society adding that the political parties and their leaders should strongly fight terrorism. He added that stern action should be taken against the sympathizers and apologists of Taliban. “Terrorists are killing innocent people to spread fear among the masses.”

Senator Mukhtiar Dhamra, on the occasion said that terrorism in the country was born during the past regimes of dictators. He said Pakistan Peoples Party has rendered sacrifices of their leaders for the sake of country, adding that Benizir Bhutto was also killed by the terrorists.

Dhamra said PPP could not run its election campaign effectively during the last general election due to terrorism threats.