An in-camera session of the parliament was held Thursday wherein Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed briefed the political leadership on external and internal security issues and regional challenges. The briefing was especially focused on the situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) as well as current situation in neighboring Afghanistan. The meeting was chaired by National Assembly Security Committee Chairman and Speaker Asad Qaiser and was attended by parliamentary leadership members of the National Assembly as well as representatives of major political parties of the Country. The public representatives were told that Pakistan had played a very sincere, positive, and responsible role in Afghan peace process. It was said that Pakistan’s concerted efforts had not only paved the way for a meaningful negotiation between the United States and the Taliban but also facilitated the dialogue between the conflicting Afghan groups. The participants were told that Pakistan firmly believed that peace and stability in Afghanistan would lead towards lasting peace and stability in the whole South Asia region. The participants were informed that Pakistan would welcome a government which would be a real representative of Afghan people at all levels and would continue playing its responsible role for Afghan peace. The comprehensive briefing of DG ISI on internal and external national security paradigm in the evolving geopolitical and geostrategic environment in the region, largely helped in building consensus among the political leadership on highly important issues relating to national security. In fact, the situation in Afghanistan had reached a very sensitive and alarming stage that the neighboring country is rapidly heading toward anarchy and destabilization if its leadership could not act responsibly during the next few weeks. The American and NATO troops are hurriedly leaving the country and likely to clear the war-torn Afghanistan in next two weeks. The world and regional stakeholders are preparing for post-US Afghanistan. However, Afghan government and Taliban are not yet ready to accept the bitter fact that both groups have to live together in Afghanistan, and both are not in a position to eliminate others from the Afghan soil. As far as Pakistan is concerned, being the first neighbor and host of more than three million Afghan refugees its peace and prosperity is directly linked with Afghanistan peace and stability. The Government of Pakistan had made sincere efforts to facilitate the Afghan peace process and the whole world including United States, UNO, regional countries, and Afghan themselves had categorically acknowledged Pakistan’s positive, constructive, and pivotal role in Afghan peace and reconciliation process so far. The Security briefing had brought the political and military leadership on the same page and now the whole nation is fully prepared to deal with any challenge to the country.
