Senate Defence Committee demands government to make Abbottabad Commission report public,

 act on its recommendations

Islamabad, July 17, 2013:  The Senate Committee on Defence & Defence Production, at its meeting held in Islamabad today, decided to demand that the government make public in a formal and official manner the contents of the Abbottabad Commission report, and place it before the parliament for debate and discussion.  This decision was taken after the Committee met under its Chairman, Senator Mushahid Hussain, at Parliament House today.  The Committee also stated that the report should be made public in toto “including the 40-page Note of Dissent prepared by one of the commission members, Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi.”

Taking note of the Abbottabad Commission report, the Committee decided to hold a Public Hearing on “Intelligence Reform and Re-organization” soon after Eid and Senator Mushahid Hussain informed the media at a press talk after the Committee meeting that the Senate Defence and Defence Production Committee would prepare its own recommendations regarding national security and counter terror strategy after thorough deliberation of the contents of the report by the Commission.

The Committee also stated in categorical terms that in the context of the Abbottabad Commission report, there should not be any blame game or figure pointing targeting individuals or institutions rather, the endeavor should be to examine the causes of what the Commission has called was a “collective failure” and to ensure that wrongs are reversed so that such failures do not recur.

On the suggestion of Senator Sehar Kamran, the Senate Committee on Defence & Defence Production passed a resolution lauding the role of female paratroopers in the Pakistan armed forces and termed this as a “positive step forward in promoting gender equality within the armed forces and good for nation building, since women will now be playing an active role, shoulder to shoulder, with the men in defending the motherland”.

The Senate Defence and Defence Production Committee also expressed its concern over the induction of a controversial individual as the Head of the newly created Aviation Division since that person’s credentials as a citizen of Pakistan have been questioned by such a high forum like the Supreme Court of Pakistan.  Taking up the issue after media reports in this regard, the Senate Defence Committee also expressed its disquiet over allegations of a conflict of interest involved in creating the Aviation Division after its separation from the Ministry of Defence.  The concern will be addressed through the Ministry of Defence and conveyed to the Prime Minister since he also happens to be the Defence Minister.