ISLAMABAD, Mar 03 (APP):Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on Tuesday informed the National Assembly that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has invited parliamentary leaders to attend a briefing on Wednesday.
Speaking on the floor of the House, the minister said the prime minister would take parliamentary leaders into confidence regarding evolving regional dynamics and related strategic matters.
He added that the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has been directed to contact all parliamentary leaders to ensure their participation in the briefing.
The minister said that the government would move forward in accordance with the consensus reached during the parliamentary meeting on Pakistan’s strategic and regional affairs.
He said that certain issues involve sensitive dimensions that cannot be discussed openly, particularly in view of the regional situation and Pakistan’s relations with brotherly Muslim countries.
Highlighting Pakistan’s ties with Iran, he described it as a neighboring and brotherly Islamic state with longstanding relations. He added that Pakistan also enjoys deep and historic ties with other countries, especially Saudi Arabia, calling the relationship “unique” given the Kingdom’s status as the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the longstanding defense cooperation agreements between the two nations.
The minister said that, keeping these sensitivities in mind, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, decided that all stakeholders should sit together to deliberate on the matter comprehensively.
Referring to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, he said the veteran parliamentarian’s counsel was always valuable, given his experience and understanding of national affairs.
Earlier, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had proposed convening an in-camera session of Parliament to brief lawmakers in detail on Pakistan’s strategic position in the evolving global landscape.
He suggested that, if the government agrees, a closed-door meeting should be held to clearly explain where Pakistan stands internationally, the message it seeks to convey to the global community, and the role it intends to play in current geopolitical circumstances.
He said that Parliament, as the supreme representative forum of the people, has the right to be taken into confidence on key national matters. “We should be informed comprehensively about Pakistan’s strategic standing in the world, our direction, and our diplomatic posture,” he said.