RAWALPINDI: Leader of United Opposition in the National Assembly Mr Nurul Amin made a strong plea for preserving the integrity of Pakistan at all costs. Even at this old age he said, “I will not hesitate from shedding my blood for keeping integrity of the country intact.”

Speaking on the Budget Mr Nurul Amin advised all sections of people not to talk in terms of “secession or separation”. Instead of talking loosely, he said, we should try to understand and appreciate the issues. Only this way we can build the edifice of a strong and stable Pakistan, he said.

There are some genuine grievances of the people, he said, and these should be tackled delicately. He deprecated the policy of “oppression and suppression” which, he said, had been put into operation in East Pakistan following recent trouble. He criticised “indiscriminate” political arrests and also questioned the justification of Police firing on demonstrators in Dacca on June 7. He suggested proper inquiry into the firing through a high-powered tribunal.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our Correspondent from Rawalpindi,] the sole guiding factor of [the] country’s foreign policy is the good of Pakistan. No other interests or considerations can have or had any room in any policy. This was declared by the Law Minister Mr S. M. Zafar, amidst loud applause from Treasury benches in [the] National Assembly today [June 20].

Mr Zafar said, we have to be only pro-Pakistan. This is our guiding principle and Magna Carta of all our policies and actions.

Mr Zafar said, Pakistan did not want confrontation with any nation. We stand for peace. But this peace cannot be at all costs. It has to be peace with honour and dignity.

Referring to the criticism of American aid the Law Minister pointed out that Pakistan is among the few countries which had made best use of every single penny of aid. We have not squandered aid money like some other nations.

Published in Dawn, June 21th, 2016