ISLAMABAD: Voicing concern over signs of a crisis triggered in the Middle East by the killing of top Iranian military commander Qasim Soleimani in a US airstrike in Baghdad bringing the already strained US-Iran ties to new heights, senators on Friday warned that the developments could seriously impact the oil import-dependent Pakistan.

“We are monitoring the international reactions to the incident and are in the process of internal consultation to prepare and issue a measured response to the incident. It will be shared with the Senate as soon as it is finalised,” said Leader of the House in the Senate Syed Shibli Faraz while reading out a statement on behalf of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmnood Qureshi.

Govt in process of internal consultation to prepare reaction to Iranian commander’s killing, upper house told

When Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani asked where the foreign minister was, Mr Faraz said he was travelling and was not in the town. The chairman then sought the presence of Mr Qureshi in the house on Monday for a briefing on the developments taking place in the Middle East and the region.

Earlier, senators belonging to the opposition demanded a policy statement from the foreign minister on the issue.

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani was the first to raise the issue. He said the killing of Qasim Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, in Iraq had escalated tensions between the US and Iran and created a war-like situation in the Middle East and the entire region. “The situation will not only affect the national security of Pakistan but also the security of the region,” he said, adding that the tense situation would also disturb oil supply in the region.

Mr Rabbani said the foreign minister should take the house into confidence on the possible repercussions of US-Iran tension for Pakistan and give a policy statement on the episode.

Alluding to Pakistan’s decision to pull out of the Kuala Lumpur summit, he said the country appeared to have changed its strategic link. “The house should be told where Pakistan stands now.”

Leader of the Opposition in the House Raja Zafarul Haq agreed that the circumstances required the foreign minister to listen to the opinion of members of the house and make a policy statement on the issue.

PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman said Pakistan was facing a crisis-like situation and everybody was asking what the country’s foreign policy was.

She said the killing of the Iranian military commander could trigger a crisis in the Middle East.

She also spoke about the longest ever lockdown and curfew in occupied Kashmir and the protests that have erupted across India following the passage of a controversial citizenship law that discriminates against Muslims.

Ms Rehman tried to explain that all these developments demanded from Pakistan’s foreign policy to take a bold stance.

She highlighted that Pakistan could face another economic crisis because of escalation of tensions between the US and Iran as it was completely an oil-importing country.

She said that there was an ambiguity over where Pakistan stood with regard to its relations with China and the US. She said the seriousness of the government to cope with this situation could be gauged from the fact that not a single minister was sitting in the house.

“Iraq has been attacked today and it may happen to Pakistan tomorrow,” Rehman Malik warned and asked the government to explain what measures had been put in place to cope with such a situation.

He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hurling threats at Pakistan at all fronts and in such a situation the government had to predict the situation and frame a counter-strategy while taking the opposition into confidence.

He said that PM Modi had anti-Pakistan mindset and he was suffering from war hysteria which had to be exposed before the world and countered at all fronts.

“The Indian forces along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary are continuously targeting civilian populations with artillery fire and automatic weapons, which is highly condemnable and sheer violation of international human rights and UN laws,” he said.

Senator Malik urged the government to call an all-party conference and a joint sitting of parliament on all national issues and to discuss and formulate a “national action plan on Kashmir and foreign policy” and prepare a strategy on the country’s “sick” economy.

The Senate will meet again on Monday at 3pm when the Army Act Amendment bill is most likely to be tabled in the houses.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2020