ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs discussed the Pakistan-Iran relations with a focus on economic, trade and security.
The 33rd meeting of Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was held in the Parliament House, on Tuesday with MNA Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari in chair.
While welcoming the members and the senior officers of the respective ministries, the chairman Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari informed the Committee about the background and the need to discuss this important matter of our foreign policy.
He congratulated the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Ms. Tehmina Janjua with best wishes for her to run the affairs of the Ministry in an appropriate manner and also extended full support of the Committee in shaping the foreign policy of Pakistan in best national interest.
Later, the Chairman invited the Foreign Secretary to brief the Committee on Pak-Iran relations. Beside an advance copy of the briefing, the Foreign Secretary elaborates in detail the dynamics and sensitivities of these relations with particular reference of two major sects.
She further informed the Committee that the Foreign Ministry do realizes these facts and we shall continue to observe the neutrality aspect in relations with our brotherly Islamic countries. At present the world is passing through a transitory phase and re-alignment of relations among different states are in process. In this connection, we have challenges as well as opportunities to tap the potential of these fast changing international scenarios.
In the last she welcomed the views and inputs of the Hon. Members on the subject and hope that the support of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in the form of its recommendation will be a guiding line for maintaining its delicate relations with its neighbors and other important power poles of the present time.
The Chairman appreciated the briefing and also acknowledged the keen interest demonstrated by the Members and further informed the Committee that we shall keep on discussing this subject in our next meetings in the presence of Experts invited by the Committee with their consent.
In response to agenda item No. (iv) the Chairman directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explore the possibilities of setting up a NADRA Office in the Pakistan High Commission, Malaysia in consultation with the Ministry of Interior to solve the problems of the Pakistan community living in Malaysia and also placed on record a document containing the names of the country having dual nationality arrangement with Government of Pakistan.
The Members who attended the meeting are: Sahibzada Muhammad Nazeer Sultan, Mian Najeebuddin Awaisi, Mr. Muhammad Khan Daha, Ch. Salman Hanif Khan, Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, Dr. Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari, Mr. Ghous Bux Khan Maher, Ms. Naeema Kishwar Khan, Mr. Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Senior Officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Division and Ministry of Law & Justice also attended the meeting.—APP
