PCNS finalises proposals for renewed ties with US

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) has formally started to formulate its recommendations for Pakistan's new terms of engagement with the United States.

Panel's chairman, Mian Raza Rabbani said the Committee would meet on a daily basis from Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the meeting of the Committee was held at the Parliament House and chaired by the panel's chairman, Mian Raza Rabbani.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and his team did not attend the meeting due to the ECC meeting also held on Tuesday and may also be missing on Wednesday as they prepare for the cabinet meeting being held today.

Dr Hafeez and his team are supposed to brief the PCNS Thursday on the financial implications on Pakistan of the suspension of Nato supplies.

According to sources, the Committee is seriously considering a proposal for the complete suspension of Nato supplies from Pakistan.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Raza Rabbani said the Committee had started the formal formulation of recommendations of the new terms of engagements with the United States.

"While formulating the recommendations, the committee will also review the proposals of defence ministries, recommendations of the envoys conference, the recommendations of the PCNS and the recommendations formulated by the PCNS Secretariat before finalising recommendation for new terms of engagement with the United States," he added.

Rabbani was hopeful that the Committee would formulate its recommendations with consensus.

Once these are finalised we will take the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence on board so that the recommendations can be sent to the prime minister to be taken to Parliament for debate, he said.