Malala attack: PML-N thwarts govt bid to move resolution in Parliament

Pakistan government was forced to drop a move to seek Parliament's support for action against militants in the wake of the Taliban attack on teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai, due to stiff opposition from PML-N of former Premier Nawaz Sharif.

The PPP-led ruling coalition dropped its plans to introduce a resolution in the National Assembly or lower house of Parliament yesterday after opposition from the PML-N.

Though the text of the resolution was not made public, sources said it called for "practical measures" against militants in reaction to the shooting of 14-year-old Malala by the Pakistani Taliban.

Once it became clear that the ruling coalition would not be able to achieve consensus on the resolution, the move was dropped and the current session of the House was prorogued.

Senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, said the resolution was a precursor to a military operation in the Waziristan tribal region though Mualana Fazlullah, considered the mastermind of the attack on Malala, was hiding in Kunar province of Afghanistan.

Khan also accused the government of failing to implement previous parliamentary resolutions aimed at tackling militancy.

Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Ahmed Shah, who is the PPP's chief whip, rejected Khan's allegations and said there was no mention of Waziristan in the proposed resolution.

He said the PML-N could make changes to the draft or move a separate resolution on the issue.

However, Khan insisted that the government merely wanted to get the opposition's mandate to launch an operation in North Waziristan. He questioned the logic behind the demand for an operation.

"The government should first tell us whether Pakistan has gained strength or was weakened due to military operations in the past," he said.

Khan questioned whether peace was restored after military operations in South Waziristan and Swat Valley.

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