Senate panel seeks briefing on PM's UN trip and Iran-US conflict
The foreign affairs committee also directed HEC, NADRA and the Foreign Office to bring a plan for a single electronic attestation system to its next meeting.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to brief it at its next meeting on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's engagements at the United Nations, Islamabad's position on the Iran-US conflict, the Makkah Pact and evolving regional developments.
The committee, chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, met to review relations with Afghanistan, the prime minister's UN visit, reforms in the ministry's document attestation process, and Pakistan's priorities under its chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Economic Cooperation Organisation.
Members welcomed the newly appointed Foreign Secretary and noted his work as Pakistan's permanent representative at the United Nations. They objected to the Foreign Minister's absence from the meeting and said his participation was needed for parliamentary oversight of foreign policy and informed deliberation.
Officials briefed the committee on the prime minister's visit to the UN and his engagements on the sidelines. The recent visit of the UN Secretary-General to Pakistan was presented as evidence of the country's diplomatic outreach.
On attestation, the ministry said general attestation, about 65 per cent of the total workload, has been digitised through integration with the Higher Education Commission database. The manual facility has been retained for the public. Apostille attestation, roughly 35 per cent of the workload, is to be linked next, with the ministry planning integration with NADRA.
Durrani directed HEC, NADRA and the ministry to attend the next meeting with a plan for an integrated e-attestation mechanism, and told NADRA and the Foreign Office to introduce QR-code verification of documents to reduce human contact and cut delays. The ministry was also instructed to publicise the digitised service so that citizens use it.
The committee was briefed on preparations for the SCO summit, the first Pakistan has chaired, with events planned around artificial intelligence, regional connectivity, youth engagement and bilateral cooperation. On the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, the ministry reported work on operationalising inter-regional trade quotas and setting up transit trade and transport arrangements.
Durrani said the SCO and ECO roles should be converted into economic opportunities, connectivity and stronger bilateral ties, and asked the ministry to pursue them actively.
The committee then received an in-camera briefing on the state of relations with Afghanistan.
Senators Sherry Rehman, Rubina Qaim Khani, Anusha Rahman Ahmed and Amir Waliuddin Chishti attended the meeting.
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