MPs unhappy over scant security briefing

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information Sherry Rehman has said that the in-camera session for the Parliamentarians was a new chapter in the democracy of Pakistan.

“The ongoing briefing session for the parliamentarians is a step towards strengthening the democratic system as it is aimed at taking public representatives on board with regard to the serious challenges the country is currently facing,” Rehman said while talking to the media on the second day of the in-camera session for elected leaders on the issue of terrorism threat.

Sherry said that it was unfortunate that in all these years when Pakistan had faced an extremist challenge well before September 11, not once the political leadership and the public representatives had been taken into confidence over the threat.

“This is a major reason why the country has been unable to achieve its objectives in the battle. This is not a single individual’s or a single institution’s war. It is the country’s war and civilian/political leadership must take the lead over Pakistan’s position in the ongoing situation.”

Sherry said that public ownership of the war was critical to the nation’s success against terrorism, adding the in-camera briefing for the parliamentarians was a strong endorsement of the significance of public representatives’ role in the ongoing efforts against terrorism.

“It is a step in the right direction to strengthen a democratic structure where public participation in national decisions was a key to the resolution of challenges facing the country. The military naturally gave an operational briefing, as that was their mandate. The government would also be giving a national security briefing in the larger strategic context.”

Answering questions about general comments on the in-camera meeting, she said that it was premature to jump to the conclusions about the outcomes of the briefing since it was an ongoing session.