Pakistani lawmakers met Wednesday for an unusual private briefing about their government's fight against terrorism, a subject that figured prominently in the second US presidential debate. Pakistan's fledgling civilian government called a special session of parliament to seek consensus on how to stabilize this nuclear-armed Islamic republic, which is beset by serious economic problems as well as insecurity. Pro-Western President Asif Ali Zardari has urged ordinary Pakistanis to recognize the danger that Taleban and Al-Qaeda-linked extremists pose to their country, especially since last month's suicide truck bombing of Islamabad's Marriott Hotel. But many here blame their country's front-line role in the seven-year-old US-led war on terror for the bloodshed, arguing Pakistan should not be fighting “America's war.” Security was tight around the parliament building Wednesday, with concrete barriers and barbed wire ringing a large perimeter outside the facility. The media was not allowed in and calls to several lawmakers were not returned, but state-run Pakistan TV and private media reported around 6 P.M. that the session had begun. The prime minister's office and state media reported that various security agencies would be involved in briefing the lawmakers, and there were reports lawmakers would be sworn not to divulge the contents of what was discussed. As he headed to the session, Shahbaz Bhatti, a lawmaker from Zardari's party, said he expected the government's briefing to “take the representatives of the people into confidence about the difficulties it is facing because of the activities of the militants.” Lawmakers have been told they can ask questions, he said. In their debate Tuesday night, US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain traded barbs over Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is rumored to be hiding along the border with Afghanistan. Obama, a Democrat, said if the US had a chance to attack Bin Laden on Pakistani soil, it should do so if Pakistan was unable or unwilling. McCain chided Obama as being too bellicose, characterizing his statement as a plan to “attack Pakistan” - something Obama denied. Zardari has pleaded with Washington to halt cross-border operations - usually missile strikes - into its border areas, saying they only fuel sympathy for extremists. His government blames the often contradictory policies of Pervez Musharraf, who quit as president in August, for the rising power of radical Islamic groups nested along the country's border with Afghanistan. Its stated policy differs little, focusing on peace with militants who renounce violence, development aid for the impoverished border region and military force as a last resort. However, it insists it will show no mercy to hard-liners and that it has addressed suspicion that Pakistan's main intelligence agency was secretly aiding the Taleban. The joint session of the upper and lower houses of parliament set to begin Wednesday was to include a closed-door briefing by an army general on ongoing operations in militant strongholds near the Afghan border. US officials concerned about the intensifying insurgency in Afghanistan have praised a two-month-old offensive in the Bajur region that the Pakistani military claims has killed more than 1,000 insurgents. Government officials said the parliamentary session was an effort to include opposition parties in the policy discussion and that their proposals would get a hearing. “We are fighting the war against terrorism and we will welcome any good advice or suggestion from the parliamentarians,” Law Minister Farooq Naek said. In a boost to hopes of building a national consensus, a senior opposition leader said Tuesday that Pakistan needed to “eliminate terrorists.” “Either we will survive or they will survive,” said Shahbaz Sharif, the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “We will soon come up with a better strategy to fight this menace,” he added, without elaborating. The ex-premier on Wednesday warned that a national policy on counter-terrorism cannot be crafted overnight. “This needs a detailed discussion and deliberation in the parliament for days to reach a consensus national policy to counter the threat of terrorism,” Nawaz Sharif told reporters. On Monday, a suicide bombing injured a Sharif party lawmaker and killed 17 other people. The following day, three small bombs exploded in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. Police said Wednesday that one of four people who were wounded in the blasts had died. – AP __
