No posturing, please

That the DGMO who is now DG ISI should have briefed the parliamentarians for two days and the army top brass including the COAS should have been present in the House indicates not only the army's concern over the issue but also its recognition of the supremacy of Parliament. It signified that the army seeks both guidance and assistance from Parliament to cope with the tasks assigned to it. While important parliamentarians from both the Treasury and the Opposition remained seated till the end on the second day of the briefing, it was regrettable that quite a few left the House much earlier. One had expected them to come prepared with questions to have a full understanding of the situation on ground. Some of the opposition MPs complained that vital questions had remained unanswered as these were avowedly outside the army's domain and they were told to seek answers from the Interior and Foreign Ministries. These included queries about the rules of engagement agreed upon with Washington, course of action in tribal areas, response to US aggressive actions in Fata and the policy being currently pursued by the government. There were also questions about the functioning of the intelligence agencies. Demands were made by the opposition lawmakers to call General (retd) Musharraf, Foreign and Interior Ministry officials and heads of intelligence agencies to answer their questions.