ISLAMABAD: Expressing concern over US President Donald Trump’s executive order that barred entry of people from seven M
uslim countries to America, opp
osition legislators in the National Assembly urged the government to come up with a statement to clarify Pakistan’s stance on the issue.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Dr Nafisa Shah, when given the floor on a point of order, said that visas to seven Muslims countries had been denied by the new US administration. She said that since it was a human rights issue, demonstrations were being staged even in America, and added that Pakistan could also face such restrictions. “The F
oreign Ministry should come up with a statement on this issue,” she demanded.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shireen Mazari, also speaking on a point of order, said that the government was silent on this inhuman treatment. She said that even the British parliament had condemned this move, while non-M
uslim countries, including those in Europe, were also holding demonstrations against it. She urged the government to clear its policy over Trump’s move.
It may be mentioned here that the Pakistan M
uslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) declined to support opp
osition parties in connection with passage of their resolution in parliament against the United States for imposing the visa restrictions on people coming from m
uslim countries.
The government has also given indication to the Ministry of F
oreign Affairs to keep quiet inside parliament and at the international level on this matter.
Well-placed sources within parliament told Daily Times that t
he ruling PML-N was under severe pressure from the PPP, PTI, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islami and its ally Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on the issue. According to the opp
osition parties, Pakistan being a nuclear Islamic state should pass a joint resolution in its parliament against the visa restriction slapped by the Trump administration against seven M
uslim countries, besides strongly condemning this move.
Opp
osition parties in the National Assembly worked out a resolution, whereby the US move for imposing visa restrictions on M
uslim countries was slammed in the strongest terms, sources sai
d.
They added that the JUI-F had also assured the joint opp
osition that it would lend them full support to get the resolution passed. Opp
osition parties also entered into an intensive consultation process with t
he ruling PML-N ministers to seek their support for the sake of the passage of this resolution, sources sai
d.
The government had assured the opp
osition on Wednesday that this resolution would be passed with consensus on Thursday. Sources said that several ministers, including Zahid Hamid and Sheikh Aftab Ahmad, had agreed to support the resolution.
However, sources within the PPP told Daily Times that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Adviser on F
oreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz did not support the resolution, fearing imp
osition of economic sanctions and visa restrictions by the US and international monetary institutions.
On the other hand, all the federal ministers disappeared from the House a few minutes before conclusion of the proceedings. State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad admitted in parliament that the Premier and the F
oreign Ministry had given an indication that the resolution would not be passed.