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No room for Nato forces on Pakistani soil: NA informed
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ISLAMABAD: Playing down the opposition's volley of allegations in connection with Nato troops presence in the country, the treasury during the lower house session on Tuesday too defended the Nato troops to take part in relief and rehabilitation activities in quake-torn areas of the country and demanded for enhanced and additional cooperation to cope with the post-quake situations.
 

As the NA session commenced the presence of Nato forces surfaced on the second consecutive day of the session, the treasury lawmaker Riaz Fatyana while taking part in debate lauded national, international and private sectors organizations in taking part of relief and rescue operations in quake-torn areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP.

Fiery Liaqat Baloch of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) sounded pessimism during his debate in the house about the presence of Nato forces to take part in relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities.

"The government has made a mockery and insult of Pak army by calling Nato forces to help in relief and rehabilitation process in AJK and NWFP," Baloch said adding that the government had expressed lack of confidence on the professional capabilities of Pak army, which the issue had became a source of constant trouble for the whole nation.

He strongly defended assistance for the affectees of national assembly employees.

Talking on a point of order, state minister for law Shahid Akram Bhindr underscored that Pak army received great losses and damages in the catastrophic earthquake, which was the single reason in delay to initiate relief and rescue operation in quake-hit zone.

"The government has now mobilized all the available resources to facilitate the quake-affectees in parts of AJK and NWFP but the government cannot complete the job single handedly and the nation should extend its every cooperation in this connection," he observed.

About the much-debated Nato presence amid to deal with relief and rehabilitation activities, he categorically turned down the presence of Nato regular troops by saying that only a relief Nato contingent along with doctors and engineers were here to facilitate the quake victims.

Mehrin Anwar Raja grieved that the killer October 8 tragedy had snatched brother from sister and mother from son and daughter and the earthquake was disastrous than Tsunami in magnitude.

She defended that the government should curtail the defense budget and subsequently utilize it to facilitate the tragic quake affectees saying that construction of tall buildings should be banned.

Fazl-e-Subhan of MMA while speaking on the floor of the house noted that the October 8 quake was a warning from Almighty of our deeds along with destruction.

Afzal Begum of MQM said that the relief goods should be disbursed in coordinated manner so that the affectees could be facilitated without further delay.

Winding up debate Imtiaz Safdar Warriach of PPP said that disastrous earthquake claimed thousands lives with leaving millions homeless while the compatriots set a good example to extend every possible cooperation to the affectees saying that there were still areas, which could not be yet accessed.

He demanded formation of parliamentary committee to supervise activities of relief operations adding that Rs. 1,00000 each promised by the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz should be handed over victim`s families.