PML-N ends PCNS boycott on PM’s call

By: Abrar Saeed | April 05, 2012 | The Nation

ISLAMABAD - Acceding to the request of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif announced ending his party’s boycott to proceedings of the parliamentary committee busy in sprucing up the recommendations for foreign policy revisit.Prime Minister Gilani Wednesday rang up Nawaz Sharif after his party stalwarts failed to bring around Muslim League-Nawaz’ members at the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS). They were on boycott of committee’s proceedings to record party’s concern over what they termed unjust increase in the prices of the petroleum products and CNG.The PML-N chief assured the prime minister that their party leaders will attend the PCNS proceedings agreeing with Gilani that progress on national security matters should not be hindered due to differences over other issues. PML-N sources informed The Nation that Nawaz asked Gilani to further rationalise prices of petroleum products as the decrease offered on Tuesday was too small.The prime minister thanked the PML-N president for his party’s effective role in the All-Party Parliamentary Committee meeting held on March 29 to finalise the recommendations regarding new rules of engagement between Pakistan and US/Nato/Isaf. That meeting was also attended by Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kiyani and ISI DG Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam, both of whom gave detailed briefing to the parliamentary leaders on country’s role in the ongoing war against terrorism and extremism.PML-N central leader Ch Nisar Ali Khan had announced boycott of the PCNS meeting on March 31 when the government increased the prices of POL products as well as CNG, and PML-N members did not participate in the three meetings of the committee held since then on daily basis at the Parliament House.PCNS Chairman Senator Raza Rabbani himself had made several attempts to bring PML-N members back to the committee but citing their party decision both Senator Ishaq Dar and Sardar Mehtab Abbassi turned down his requests.The committee was to complete the review of the 40-point recommendations by April 4 so the new draft could be placed before the joint sitting of the parliament on Thursday (today), but as the main opposition party was on boycott so the review process was hampered and now it is quite improbable that amended proposals would be put before the parliament today.Sources in the committee said the committee would be meeting Thursday morning and, as the PML-N has ended their boycott, it would try to finalise the recommendations ahead of the joint sitting scheduled in the afternoon. However, PML-N sources said they were not in haste and would have thorough combing of the recommendations, and it would not be possible that the same could be tabled on Thursday (today).Earlier, talking to the media after Wednesday’s meeting of PCNS, Chairman Raza Rabbani said the review process was incomplete and the recommendations could not be tabled before the parliament on Thursday (today). He quickly added that there was no deadline for the committee to accomplish the task. He said that he had requested the PML-N members to end the boycott as the committee is dealing with a very sensitive issue of national importance and their contribution being the major opposition party is of vital importance.The committee members however continued clause-wise review of the recommendations. Afrasayab Khattak, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Aftab Sherpao, Munir Khan Orakzai and Maulana Fazlur Rehman attended in the session.