PPP seeks FM's briefing on Masood Azhar issue.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- PPP in the Senate on Thursday demanded a briefing from the Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the placement of Pakistani cleric Maulana Masood Azhar on the global terror list and China's decision to withdraw its objection to this listing.

PPP also asked the government to take the parliament into confidence over the conditionalities being finalised with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout package. It warned that opposition would not recognise any agreement made with IMF in case parliament and masses were not taken into confidence over the terms and conditions being agreed upon with the international lender.

The Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday designated Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after China withdrew its technical objection to this listing.

Former chairman Senate and PPP stalwart Senator Raza Rabbani on a point of public importance said that it looked that the government had not only completely ignored the parliament but also it has been made redundant. He said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi should have given a statement in both houses of the parliament over the listing of Masood Azhar.

Rabbani sought an explanation from foreign minister that when Pakistan did get to know that China was going to withdraw its hold over the listing issue. Secondly, whether Pakistan was part of the negotiations being held between China and other countries who initiated the listing proposal and whether its opinion was taken on it, he questioned.

'This issue did not settle immediately,' he said. The development has an important link with the security and foreign policy of Pakistan, he argued. Instead of responding here, the minister got conducted a press conference by the Foreign Office, he regretted. 'Such matter which should be discussed in the parliament are being decided somewhere else.'

PPP lawmaker said that the Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement given in Iran that terrorists had been using Pakistan's soil against Iran had far reaching consequences. Similarly, PM made an important visit to China. 'But parliament was never briefed on these two important visits,' he said.

The government has also not taken the parliament into confidence as to what conditions the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had set for Pakistan to exclude its name from grey list, he said

'It also generates serious issues that the...