Parliament to decide role in War on Terror: Nawaz

Former premier and PML (N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday that the Pakistani Parliament should decide the country’s role in US-led ‘War on Terror’.

Talking to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher, who called on him along with his delegation today at his Raiwand residence, Nawaz maintained that his party would not withdraw its demand of reinstatement of deposed judges.

Former premier said that Pakistan wants to establish friendly-ties with U.S. on equal basis.

He also expressed his concerns over ongoing operation in Khyber Agency and other tribal areas by Pakistani security forces.

U.S. Assistant Secretary, declaring Pakistan a major ally of his country in ‘war on terror’, asked for Pakistani cooperation in maintaining peace and law and order in its neighboring country, Afghanistan.

Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shehbaz Sharif and senior leaders PML (N) Chodhry Nisar Ali Khan and Khowaja Asif were also assisted Nawaz in talks, reported ARY One World.

Earlier, talking to newsmen, PML (N) spokesman Siddiqul Farooq said that his party chief would raise the issue of ongoing military operation in Pakistani tribal region besides other bilateral issues in the meeting.

Muslim League-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan talking to newsmen after the meeting between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and PML-N Leader Mian Nawaz Sharif here said that the NWFP operation has been launched before arrival of the U.S. Assistant Secretary as practiced by Gen. Musharraf in the past.

He said that no encounter happened during the last three days of the operation, so we suspect it as a practice like the past.

Chaudhry Nisar said the ongoing NWFP military operation was discussed in detail in the meeting.

He said his party was not taken into confidence about the operation. “We were just informed about a meeting and later told about the decision of the operation.”

Chaudhry Nisar further said that Mian Nawaz Sharif highlighted the party stand over restoration of deposed judges in the meeting with the US Secretary of State.