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Pak opposition files motion against receiving aid from Israel |
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Tuesday, 18 October 2005 |
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Islamabad
Pakistan-Quake-Israel
An opposition alliance in Pakistan has filed an adjournment motion with the Lower House of Parliament against receiving relief aid from Israel.
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Spokesman Shahid Shamsi told IRNA here on Tuesday that the opposition would like to have a House debate on this most sensitive matter.
Suspending its routine business, the House should hold a debate on the matter, it said.
According to some reports, the government has accepted Israel's offer of aid. This has caused immense anguish and anger among the masses, the motion read.
The motion asked: How could Pakistan accept aid from Israel which has killed hundreds and thousands of innocent Palestinians and continues to occupy Jerusalem?
There are no diplomatic relations between Islamabad and Tel Aviv and a Pakistani passport is valid for all countries except Israel.
Similarly, it pointed out that since the matter was not discussed in parliament, Tel Aviv should be refused on this offer of aid.
The motion was filed on Monday.
Earlier, the MMA, a six-party alliance of mainstream religio- political parties, had filed an adjournment motion on October 13 over reports that President General Pervez Musharraf had given a nod to the acceptance of relief aid from the American Jewish Congress.
The motion asked the government to rely on locally available resources and although aid from other countries was welcome, it said national pride and integrity must be held supreme.
Media reports suggested President Musharraf had insisted his government had no objection to the aid from Israel if it was sent through the good offices of the United Nations.
If the motion is allowed, a minimum two-hour debate could be held on the issue. A head count would be made if the opposition challenges a rejection of the initiative.
Since its inception in August 1947, Pakistan has had no formal relations with Israel.
The two countries had their first formal high-level contact when Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri had talks with his Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalom, on September 1 in Istanbul.
Source: IRNA |
