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It’s up to parliament to decide on US aid bill: PM

* Government not bound to accept strings attached to Kerry-Lugar bill
* Any reservations can be removed through consensus
* Criticism may cause US to suspend aid

By Zulfiqar Ghuman

ISLAMABAD: The government is not bound to accept the strings attached to the Kerry-Lugar bill and parliament is empowered to take the final decision on the matter, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani told the National Assembly on Wednesday.

“We have not signed any contract ... it is not binding on us ... it is for parliament to take a decision,” he said in response to Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s initiation of the debate on the Kerry-Lugar bill. He said he had already taken the president and the chief of army staff into confidence over the concerns being raised on the bill. “It is our country ... our parliament and our military,” he said.

Consensus: Gilani said if the army and parliament had any reservations, these could be removed through consensus. “I always believe in consensus. I have summoned the foreign minister back to Pakistan and he will brief parliament on the Kerry-Lugar bill. We believe in supremacy of parliament and this shows our commitment to strengthen this institution,” he said. He said the government would never allow a foreign country access to Pakistan’s nuclear facilities. “Our party initiated the nuclear programme and we will defend it,” he said. adding US President Barack Obama had not yet signed the bill.

No aid: Separately, during a meeting with the PPP parliamentary party at PM’s House, a private TV channel cited the premier as saying that criticism of the bill could result in the US suspending non-military aid to Pakistan.

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