Government must focus on safeguarding National Interest: says Mushahid

Date : November 15, 2012

Chairman Standing Committee on Defence Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed presented a committee report on Defence Update-I November 2012 in the Senate on Wednesday. He talked about the committee’s practical role and said that instead of delivering speeches and waiting for US President Obama’s next moves on Afghanistan, the government of Pakistan should focus now on safeguarding the national interests vis-à-vis Afghanistan in the upcoming circumstances.

 The Senator called for eschewing double standards on drone attacks and making it clear to the US that there must be no more such strikes inside the country and the government must make sure that Pakistan was made part of the dialogue process with Taliban in Afghanistan.

 Mushahid also pointed out that it should be kept in mind that, on one hand, the US wanted peace and dialogue while on the other, it talked about aggression against Iran and containment of China.

About his committee’s policy, he said that they wanted to play the role of a bridge between the ‘khaki’ and the mufti’ and wanted a dialogue between the armed forces and the media and the process would be started very soon. He asserted that mere rhetoric of believing in supremacy of the Parliament would not do and practical steps must be taken in this regard.