Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting – Fawad Chaudhry has reaffirmed that government is keeping a close eye on developments in Afghanistan and will not let its spill out affect Pakistan.
Fawad Chaudhry took to social media to stress that Pakistan is striving for peace and stability in Afghanistan and that a consensus-based form of government is reached [by Afghan stakeholders].
However, if this doesn’t happen, we will not allow its repercussions and fallout to affect Pakistan. Our Afghan policy is based on Pakistan’s interests, Fawad Chaudhry reaffirmed.
The federal minister also highlighted that PM Imran Khan has already clarified that Pakistan will be a partner for peace and not in war.
Pakistan’s territory is not being used against Afghanistan and we hope that Afghan land is not used agiasnt Pakistan.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf had warned while briefing the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs that the situation was turning volatile in Afghanistan.
Yusuf had termed the situation in the neighbourng country “extremely bad and out of Pakistan’s control”. He had warned of an impending risk of an attack by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan militants, who, he had said, could enter Pakistan disguised as refugees.
Qureshi had expressed worry that in case of a civil war in Afghanistan, Pakistan would not be able to handle the influx of refugees.
It is pertinent to know that in-camera briefing was given to parliamentarians by military and intelligence’s top brass on national security with special focus on deteriorating situation in neighboring Afghanistan.
The in-camera briefing was chaired by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser and was attended by Federal ministers Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Pervez Khattak along with various opposition figures including NA Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Senator Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI-F Parliamentary leader Maulana Asad Mahmood, and ANP leader Ameer Haider Azam Khan Hoti.
In addition to the 29 members of the committee, some 16 legislators were specially invited to attend the in-camera briefing.
COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed and DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar were also present.
The primary briefing was given by DG ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed who informed on the current situation in Afghanistan and the challenges due to the evolving nature of developments in the region.
