PML-N admits damage control: Shahbaz droning about US strikes

LAHORE, April 15: Continuing his tirade against the US drone attacks, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif wants some practical steps like rescinding agreements (with the US) to check the aggression against innocent citizens. "It is not possible to stop drone attacks which are resulting in the deaths of innocent Pakistanis merely by passing condemnatory resolutions and issuing protest statements," he told the PML-N workers at his Model Town residence here on Friday. He suggested breaking out of the agreements and plans made against national interests while keeping the masses in the dark and stressed the need to stand as a proud and sovereign nation in the real sense. It's the third time in the last couple of weeks that the PML-N leader has spoken on the drone issue which, many in the party believe, is a damage-control measure after 'mysterious' release of CIA operative Raymond Davis. Mishandling the Raymond issue had become a liability for the PML-N-led provincial government, a senior party leader admitted. "Those on whose demand we took Raymond into custody are now holding Punjab responsible for all the-arrest-and-release-saga," he lamented, in a clear reference to federal secret agencies. Another official said the party had gone a step ahead on the drone attacks for saving its vote-bank in the next electoral exercise as it was facing a tough competition from other right-wingers like Jamaat-i-Islami, Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led JUI, Tehrik-i-Insaaf of Imran Khan, etc. Along with Tehrik-i-Jafria, these parties had also stood with PML-Q's Awais Leghari in the Dera Ghazi Khan by-polls although the PML-N had granted ticket to Hafiz Abdul Karim of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, another right-winger that is also one of the six constituents of the defunct religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA). About the agreements and plans Mr Sharif was referring to, the official said instead of looking towards the federal government, the party would have to take the initiative of making public terms and conditions of the Kerry Lugar Law, under which Washington is extending Islamabad over $1 billion dollar financial help per year, besides discussing other agreements signed with the US that allowed its agencies to operate in Pakistan. Mr Sharif had told the workers that the drone attacks posed the most serious challenge to the country. However, the problem could be tackled and the Pakistani government and the nation held the key to the solution, he said. He said it was high time Pakistan parted with the assistance being received under the KL law and proved to the world that Pakistani nation was not a purchasable commodity and would not bargain away the blood of its citizens for dollars. He was of the opinion that like safeguarding the geographical frontiers of the country, protection of life and property of the citizens was the responsibility of the government and the army and they would be held accountable by the masses and the history for failure in this regard. The chief minister asked the PML-N workers that besides promoting public awareness on this national issue, they should also play their due role for forcing the government to adopt a result-oriented stance against drone attacks as this problem could be resolved not with statements but by taking decisions based on national pride and honour.