PPP flays foreign policy

Published February 9, 2003

ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The Pakistan People‘s Party has alleged that Pakistan’s foreign policy is not according to

people‘s wishes and it does not reflect the aspirations of the people.

The member National Assembly and the PPP central coordinator of human rights cell, Fauzia Wahab, apprised the secretary-general Commonwealth, Don Mckinnon, of the strong grip of military generals on the foreign policy of Pakistan, which in fact doesn’t represent the wishes of the people.

In a letter addressed to Mr McKinnon, Fauzia wrote: “The civil society and its representatives have no say in the formulation of our country‘s foreign policy. It is a forbidden fruit that only the GHQ can savour.

“The only civilian government that could independently pursue a dynamic foreign policy reflective of the common man‘s aspiration was the first PPP government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

After that no civilian government was allowed to play any role in foreign affairs.

The PPP leader wrote: “The disastrous “Strategic Depth” policy for Afghanistan, the Kashmir issue, relationship with India and Iran or with all our neighbouring countries are determined by the Armed forces, the civilian forces of the country have no say”.—Reporter