Parliament146;s resolve News Archive News

Pakistan8217;s parliament passed a resolution on internal security and the war against terrorism

Written by Tridiveshsinghmaini

October 25, 2008 12:00 AM IST

4 min read

Pakistan8217;s parliament passed a resolution on internal security and the war against terrorism.nbsp; Says The News October 23 8220;The Parliament on Wednesday unanimously endorsed a 14-point resolution on national policy regarding internal security and war against terrorism8230; the resolution asks government to hold dialogue only with militants who lay down arms and compensate all soldiers and civilians who embraced martyrdom in fight against terror. It also asks government to defend the territorial integrity of the country.8221; The Nation mentions two important points: 8220;That Pakistan8217;s territory shall not be used for any kind of attacks on other countries and all foreign fighters, if found, shall be expelled from our soil. That dialogue must now be the highest priority, as a principal instrument of conflict management and resolution. Dialogue will be encouraged with all those elements willing to abide by the Constitution of Pakistan and rule of law8221;.

Unlocking the LoC

Opening up of trade between the two Kashmirs has been covered well by all papers. Dawn October 21 reports that 8220; The opening of the trade route has been a key demand of Kashmiri separatists. Separatists, however, say India still needs to acknowledge that Kashmir is disputed.8221; The News October 23 says 8220; AJK President Raja Zulqarnain Khan flagged off three trucks carrying goods, including one with gift items onboard for occupied Poonch8230; The president said the trans-LoC trade will open new avenues for resolution of decades old Kashmir conflict. He further said the decision for launching bilateral trade between both sides of the LoC will also strengthen and promote the ongoing peace process 8221;.

An editorial in Dawn October 23nbsp;states that tradenbsp;could be one of the tools towards peace, butnbsp;many other disputes still need to benbsp;looked at 8212; 8220;while it is not altogether clear when such a move would make 8216;borders irrelevant8217;, the measure is certainly a step in the right direction. By itself trade promotes more than an exchange of goods; it creates business opportunities that play a crucial role in cementing existing links between the countries in question.nbsp;However, trade by itself will not expedite even a partial solution on Kashmir8221;.

The American link

Dawn October 24 reports 8220;New ISI chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha will arrive in Washington this weekend for meetings with CIA8217;s director Michael V. Hayden.8221; The paper quoted Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Patrick Moonnbsp;saying: 8220;Pakistan needs to and is attacking insurgents in its northern areas8221;.

The News October 24 also reports thatnbsp;8220;a small contingent of US military instructors have begun a training program scheme aimed at turning Pakistan8217;s Frontier Corps into an effective counter-insurgency force. The Nation October 24 makes an interesting point: 8220;The politically sensitive program had been stalled for months by negotiations between the US and Pakistani military8221;.

Masooda Bano in an opinion piece in The News October 24nbsp;says: 8220; The PPP government is even more desperate to please the United States than its predecessor.8221; Remarking on the bombings on Pakistani soil, the article says, 8220;These deaths only mobilise more aggrieved youth willing to join the ranks of the Taliban; they don8217;t reduce them. Else, the cluster bombings in Afghanistan and Iraq and the military operations in the tribal belt ongoing since 2004 should have wiped out all militancy by now.8221;

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