Members snub US envoy

ISLAMABAD - Chairman Special Committee of Parliament on National Security Raza Rabbani has said there was no need to take briefing from American Ambassador Anne Patterson on drone attacks in Pakistan.
Rabbani stated this while talking to media persons after presiding over a meeting here on Wednesday at the Parliament House. He said that the Committee would contact the Foreign Ministry if it needed a briefing from the US Ambassador about drone attacks.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, Justice (r) Abdul Razzaq Thahim, Maulana Samiul Haq, Abdul Rahim Mandokhel, Israr Ullah Zaidi, Wasim Sajjad and others attended the meeting.
In the last meeting, the Director-General ISI, Interior Minister and Foreign Minister had given detailed briefings to the Committee.
Rabbni told the media that the first phase of proceedings of Parliamentary Committee had been completed. He said that next meeting of Special Committee of Parliament was likely to be held on December 22 or 23. In this meeting, NWFP Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani and Chief Minister Amir Haider Hoti would be invited for seeking their opinion and knowing the real situation in FATA, Peshawar and other areas of the province.
According to reliable sources, Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar gave a detailed briefing to the Committee about terror activities in FATA and NWFP. The sources said that the minister also briefed about the drone attacks.
The sources further said that the minister told the meeting that Pakistan was making efforts at diplomatic levels to halt the drone attacks. In this regard, the country was strengthening its relations with friends of Pakistan. He said Pakistan could not fight alone with NATO forces.
Online adds: Earlier, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson wants a chance for American government to explain its drone incursions and attacks policy.
In a letter to the head of Parliamentary Committee Raza Rabbani, she has requested that the American government wanted to present its point of view regarding incursions of its pilotless drones, many of which have been deadly for conducting full-fledged missile attacks, to a joint sitting of the Parliamentary Committee.