News
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
Senate panel takes up key foreign issues todayISLAMABAD: A senate panel will take up key foreign policy issues, including relations with the US, Afghanistan, India and Bangladesh, today (Tuesday) to give its input to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan, headed by Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Haji Adeel, will discuss the foreign policy issues, which also dominated the proceedings of both houses of the parliament recently.
According to copy of the agenda of the committee’s meeting, the committee will focus on Afghanistan issue, visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to Pakistan, current situation of Pakistan-India relations and Pak-Bangladesh relations.
According to parliamentary sources, the discussion on Afghanistan will encompass the Afghan Talban’s talks with the US as well as Pak-Afghan relations, particularly after the recent visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The committee is likely to utilise much time on Indo-Pak relations in the backdrop of escalation on Line of Control (LoC). Ceasefire violations along LoC by the India army will be discussed thoroughly.
The US secretary of state’s visit to Pakistan and current status of Pakistan-US relations would also come under discussion. The committee would seek the terms of engagements between the two countries especially related to war on terrorism.
It is worth mentioning that the adviser to prime minister on foreign affairs presented a blueprint of the country’s foreign policy in the recently concluded session of National Assembly on the demand of opposition parties, which also staged the walkout against the “non-seriousness” of the government to take parliament into confidence on key foreign policy issues. tanveer ahmed
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk