Pakistan not against Iranian interests: NA body

Says not to become party to conflicts among Muslim countries

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs observed on Tuesday that Pakistan was not against the Iranian interests and it would not become a party to Muslim countries’ conflicts.

The 33rd meeting of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was held in the Parliament House on Tuesday under the chairmanship of MNA Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari to discuss the Pakistan-Iran relations with focus on economic, trade and security aspects as per the agenda.

The chairman, while welcoming the members and senior officers of the respective ministries, informed the committee about the background and the need to discuss this important matter of Pakistan’s foreign policy, a press release on Tuesday said.

He further congratulated the newly-appointed Foreign Secretary 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 the 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 elaborated 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 realised these facts and they would continue to observe the neutrality aspect in relations with brotherly Islamic countries.“At present, the world is passing through a transitory phase and realignment of relations among different states is in process,” she said.

“In this connection, we have challenges as well as opportunities to tap the potential of these fast changing international scenarios,” she said.In the last, she welcomed the views and inputs of the members on the subject and hoped the support of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in the form of its recommendation would be a guiding line for maintaining its delicate relations with its neighbours 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 they would keep on discussing this subject in next meetings in the presence of experts invited by the committee with their consent.

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 countries having dual nationality arrangement with the Government of Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by MNA Sahibzada Muhammad Nazeer Sultan, Mian Najeebuddin Awaisi, Muhammad Khan Daha, Ch Salman Hanif Khan, Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, Dr Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari, Ghous Bux Khan Maher, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and senior officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet Division and Ministry of Law and Justice.