RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) Thursday discussed in detail the issues related to Afghanistan and Iran and all the members expressed their desire to establish friendly relations with the neighbouring countries.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq while talking to media persons after presiding over the meeting said that the committee has discussed the issues related to Afghanistan and Iran in detail.

He said that the meeting discussed the tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan following Afghan forces’ attack on Pakistani census team in Chaman. The statement of Iran’s Chief of Armed Forces Mohammad Hossein Bagheri regarding targeting militant bases inside Pakistan and meetings of Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javed Zarif with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Javed Qamar Bajwa were also discussed during the meeting.

Sadiq said that Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and National Security Advisor Lt Gen Nasser Khan Janjua (retd) briefed the committee about the Chaman attack incident and meetings of Iranian foreign minister with the Prime Minister, Chief of the Army Staff and Interior Minister.

He said that all the members have expressed their desire to establish friendly relations with neighbouring countries, he said, adding that the overall sentiment is that Pakistan should play very proactive and positive role for establishing good relationship.

The 34-member committee also discussed rules to regulate the procedure of the committee. The rules, which had been made earlier were adopted by the committee.

He said that in the next meeting, the committee will discuses implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) against terrorism in detail and prepare future working plan. The committee was also briefed that provinces have major role in implementation of NAP as well as military courts. It has also suggested to call provincial representatives in the next meeting to hold fruitful discussion on 20 points of NAP.

To a question he said that the meeting also discussed issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav and International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) decision but he said that this a sensitive issue that needs further discussion.

The committee comprising representatives of all the treasury and opposition parties in the National Assembly and Senate was formed by the government last month to fulfil its commitment which it had made with the opposition parties in return for their support to the 23rd Constitution Amendment Bill granting two-year extension to the military courts to try civilians on terrorism charges.

The four terms of reference (ToR) of the PCNS are “to discuss issues relating to national security of urgent nature; periodically review, monitor and oversee implementation of NAP; present periodical reports of the committee to both the houses of Parliament and monitor the process of transfer of cases from military courts to the civil courts through criminal justice reforms.”

The new PCNS consists of a number of political heavyweights like Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party President Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Shah Mehmood Qureshi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Dr Farooq Sattar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of PML-Q, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Ilyas Bilour of Awami National Party, Aftab Sherpao of Qaumi Watan Party, Mushahidullah Khan of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Syed Naveed Qamar and Sherry Rehman of the PPPP, Hasil Khan Bizenjo of National Party, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah of PML-Functional, Sirajul Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri of Balochistan National Party (Awami).

Other prominent members of the committee are Law Minister Zahid Hamid, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Ghaus Bux Mahar, Sahibzada Tariqullah, Ijazul Haq, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Usman Khan Tarakai, Shah Gee Gul Afridi, Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini, Usman Kakar, Tahir Mashhadi and Azam Swati.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and National Security Adviser Nasir Janjua attend the meeting as special invitees.