Lugar Act, a bill moved in the Pakistan Senate (Upper House of Parliament) the other day makes it mandatory for the president of Pakistan to certify to parliament every January that Pakistan's sovereignty and honor have not been compromised in any manner whatsoever. The Pakistan Sovereignty Bill 2010, sponsored by the leader of the opposition in the Senate Wasim Sajjad, says notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law and treaty, and undertakings or conditionalities agreed with any foreign country, the president of Pakistan shall certify every January each year on behalf of the Pakistan government of Pakistan to each House of Parliament that no compromise has been made on security or effectiveness of the nuclear program of Pakistan; that no understanding has been reached with any foreign country for interference in the change of command or promotions in the Pakistan armed forces or in the structure or role of the security forces of Pakistan; and that no conditionalities have been accepted from any source to weaken the defense of Pakistan against foreign aggressions. “There are many forces both inside and outside Pakistan, which are weakening the defense of Pakistan and endangering the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan,” the statement of objects and reasons of the bill said. It said that a vulnerable economic situation was being used to force Pakistan into steps which were not in the national interest, and it, therefore, is necessary to enact this law. Sajjad believed that no parliamentary party would oppose or object to the bill because it dealt with an important non-controversial issue, which was of concern to every citizen of Pakistan. He hoped that the ruling coalition parties would also not be against this bill because there were no two opinions on protecting the sovereignty of Pakistan. He said that the Kerry-Lugar Act raised many concerns and caused serious worries in almost all civil and military circles. He said to deal with these misgivings and qualms it was necessary to provide a legal statute wherein the president of Pakistan was bound to give to parliament an annual certification. Sajjad said this was something new in Pakistan, but such requirements were in place in many countries especially the United States where the Congress was informed about all measures and policies decided by the US administration. It appears that the Pakistan Sovereignty Act was drafted keeping in view the harsh provisions of the Kerry-Lugar Act, which were interpreted in Pakistan as something meant to hit the country hard. Almost all the matters on which the Pakistan Sovereignty Bill seeks presidential certification were covered directly or indirectly in the Kerry-Lugar Act and it was claimed that the sovereignty and honor of Pakistan has been compromised in it; Pakistan's nuclear program has been endangered; US interference has been allowed in the change of command and promotions in the Pakistan armed forces and the structure and role of the security forces of Pakistan and several conditionalities have been attached, which impinged hard on the defense of Pakistan. In Pakistani MPs' meetings with US lawmakers during the latter's visits to Pakistan when the controversy over the Kerry-Lugar Act raged here, the Americans had emphasized that the Pakistan-specific law puts conditions on the US government. “When they give this kind of arguments, we thought to have a similar law that binds the president to issue the necessary certificate to parliament each year that the sovereignty of the country is not being compromised in any way,” one of them said.
