The history showed it was always army who had made the majority of key decisions since 1947. This means that Zardari may not get aid under such circumstances. Which ultimately will create chaos and confusion and may result in another easy take over by the military. There after every condition will be acceptable as usual and there would be no problem for laanati jamaatis too. See how the views on this aid differ by the Zardari government who insists on getting this aid.
This has purely civilian government prerogative. Military has no right to indulge in such controversy. The results could be disastrous if there is clash and Government fails to get this aid due to wishes of the military.
The army should have showed dismayed on misappropriation of billions in auditor report by auditor general of Pakistan rather than on this purely a civilian matter which could be discussed in NA if there is any serious lacuna in getting this aid.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Army top brass examines US aid bill
**The Kerry Lugar bill also came under discussion during the conference. The forum expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting national security. A formal input is being provided to the government, the statement said.
However, in the considered view of the forum, it was the parliament, that represented the will of the people of Pakistan, which would deliberate on the issue, enabling the government to develop a national response, it added.**
DAWN.COM | Front Page | Zardari asks party leaders to defend Kerry-Lugar
**The meeting continued till early Tuesday morning and was attended by about 30 senior party leaders, including Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Dr Zaheeruddin Babar Awan, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Najmuddin Khan, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Faisal Karim Kundi, Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali, Syed Sumsam Ali Bukhari, Mohammad Afzal Sindhu, Senators Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, A. Rehman Malik, Jehangir Badr, Mir Lashkari Raisani and Zahir Shah.
Briefing the media, President’s spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that the president rejected criticism that the conditions in the Kerry-Lugar Bill undermined the country’s sovereignty.
The president said the bill was the first Pakistan aid legislation that did not require presidential certifications every year. “It only required certification by the Secretary of State that Pakistan was moving along the path of democracy, nuclear non- proliferation and drugs control.
”Who in Pakistan under the present democratic dispensation would disagree with these goals?” he asked.
”This was in contrast with the past aid bills that required presidential certification that Pakistan was moving towards restoration of democracy, human rights protection, nuclear non-proliferation and drugs control,” President Zardari added.
He said the bill acknowledged Pakistan as a critical ally and its profound sacrifices in the war on terror.
The language of the bill relating to nuclear proliferation had also been toned down. In the original bill, he said the wording was to “ensure access of US investigators to individual suspected”.
“This was changed to receiving cooperation ‘in efforts such as providing relevant information from or direct access to Pakistani nationals associated with such networks’,” he said.—APP**
