-NSA says onus on India to make conducive environment for talks
By Our Defence
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf on Wednesday gave an in-camera briefing to the members of Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence about the matters related to the National Defence and Security Policy.
Dr Moeed Yusuf while commenting on Pakistan-India relations, said it was the responsibility of India to make the environment conducive for bilateral talks on all issues. He apprised the committee, which met here with Mushahid Hussain Sayed on the chair, that Pakistan would continue serious efforts for political settlement to restore peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He viewed that the Afghan government and the Taliban should settle their issues through dialogue, and the Afghan land should not be used against Pakistan.
The adviser said the world community and neighbouring countries should devise a strategy for facilitation of possible Afghan migrants. The international community must ensure that refugees from Afghanistan may not need to come to Pakistan. He said the national security policy would soon be presented.
Earlier, the committee unanimously approved “The Maritime Security Agency (Amendment Bill) 2021.”Earlier this month, the military high command told lawmakers at a high-level security briefing on July 1 that Pakistan will welcome the true representative government of Afghanistan’s people and continue to play its responsible role for lasting peace in the neighbouring country.
The closed-door briefing regarding the evolving situation in Afghanistan and other strategic matters was given during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security at Parliament House in Islamabad.
In addition to the 29 members of the committee, some 16 legislators had been specially invited to the meeting which was attended by Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the heads of all parliamentary parties both in the National Assembly and Senate, as well as the chief ministers of the four provinces. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed gave the main briefing, while Prime Minister Imran Khan did not attend it.
Committee chairman and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser presided over the session, during which the DG ISI gave the political and parliamentary leadership and lawmakers a comprehensive briefing on “important external matters, national security, internal challenges and regional developments especially the Kashmir conflict and Afghanistan’s current situation”, according to a statement released by the information ministry.
The meeting was told that Pakistan had honestly played a “very positive and responsible” role in the Afghan peace process.
