Opposition sets terms for joining quake body
By Uzma Zafar

ISLAMABAD—The Parliamentary leaders of combined opposition have finalized the Terms of References (ToRs) of the Parliamentary Committee for quake-affectees rehabilitation.
The united opposition finalized ToRs for quake body in a meeting held in the chamber of Mian Raza Rabbani, the opposition leader in the Senate here on Thursday.
Opposition leader in National Assembly Maulana Fazalur Rehman, Chairman Pakistan Tehrik Insaf Imran Khan and BNP MNA Abdul Rauf Mengal attended the meeting.
The combined opposition earlier rejected ‘proposed’ ToRs of the Parliamentary Committee on earthquake for being ambiguous.
Parliamentary Committee’s ToRs draft finalized by opposition stressed Parliament’s major role in rehabilitation work and transparent utilization of donations for quake-affectees.
The draft also stressed that the Parliamentary Committee must be self-directed or independent.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Mian Raza Rabbani said that they would not accept Parliamentary Committee’s membership unless government accepts their (opposition) ToRs for quake body.
He noted that opposition’s ToRs draft is based on basic principles and it stresses that the relief work for quake-affectees rehabilitation must be underway under Parliament’s supervision.
Mr Rabbani said that draft also emphasized that the donations of quake-affectees should be used transparently.
Opposition is giving its ToRs for Parliamentary Committee because government ToRs are inadequate, he said.
About Maulana Sami ul Haq’s membership of Parliamentary Committee, Mr Rabbani said he would not say anything in this regard.
We are not being pressurized by Awan-e-Sadre, he said.
MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmad told media men that opposition would accept Parliamentary Committee’s membership if government incorporates their (opposition’s) view point in ToRs of earthquake body.
He said that all opposition parties accepted TORs draft prepared by Raza Rabbani.
Opposition’s ToRs draft will be forwarded to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in coming few days, he added.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that they are hopeful that government will agree upon their ToRs draft.
Online adds: The Opposition leader of the National Assembly, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has blamed the government for trying to instigate objectionable behavior by the opposition in its bid to find a legitimate excuse to keep it out of the Parliamentary Committee’s sessions.
He said that government seems to have forgotten the fact that politicians are supposed to be cool-minded, prudent and patient persona.
He was expressing his sentiments at the Peshawar Press Club during his address to the seminar on Iran’s Nuclear Program and International reactionary pressures to it, and in a press Conference that followed.
He claimed that Musharraf could not tolerate opposition’s blatant truth and criticism about government’s severe mishandling of the quake rescue and relief activity. Hence, he gave an offensive statement right at theeleventh hour, in a bid to instigate the opposition to refuse participation in the sessions, and to give the wrong impression of opposition’s intransigence about participation(s) to masses. Maulana Sahib criticized slow progress in the quake-affected areas, saying that progress lagged by a hefty two months’ margin. He was quite critical of the fact that important decisions have been taken single-handedly, without taking the Parliament into confidence. This fact was made more poignant by the fact that even the participants of the International Donors’ Conference also advised the government to ensure Parliament’s participation and viewpoint in relief and rehabilitation efforts of the quake areas. Earlier, while addressing the seminar, he strongly endorsed the right of nuclear deterrent for the nations who are not signatories to the NPT and CTBT. No country or global group had any right to blame, suspect anybody’s nuclear, or any other form of progress or program.
He stressed on close harmony and solidarity between Muslim States, so that no power on earth should be able to pressurize it. However, he advocated prudent measures to check any harmful and aggressive proliferation of nuclear abilities and resources. He was also critical of the partial pressure of world community over Pakistan to amend its “aggressive policy” with India. Their consistent demand to Pakistan to improve its ties with India has caused Pakistan to give a new proposal almost every day, which is consistently rejected by India.