Govt urged to take Parliament into confidence

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Former Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani on Tuesday said that the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan has given birth to numerous questions, for which the government should take the Parliament into confidence.

Speaking on a point of order in the Senate, he said that three versions of PM Khan’s visit are circulating in these days, one of which, according to the information minister, is that Saudi leadership has been assured that their country would be given strategic support.

Rabbani continued that the Prime Minister in his interview to a Saudi television channel said that Pakistan would not allow any country to attack Saudi Arabia. This statement of the Prime Minister, Rabbani insisted, has given birth to numerous questions.

He questioned whether Pakistan would fight a war for Saudi Arabia, adding if there is any defense agreement or it is going to take place between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. “I just want to know if [God forbid] whether Pakistan will send its troops to Saudi Arabia if it comes under attack,” he questioned.

Rabbani also raised the issue of Pakistan’s invitation to Saudi Arabia to join multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, saying the Parliament must be told whether or not China was taken into confidence before inviting Saudi Arabia to join the CPEC.

He insisted that new foreign policy should be framed in light of the views of the Parliament, as it is the supreme institution, adding any attempt to keep the Parliament in abeyance with regard to foreign policy of the country will be resisted.