ISLAMABAD, May 3: The Senate’s Defence Committee on Wednesday decided to evolve a national posture on the Iran issue jointly with the upper house’s foreign affairs committee.
The meeting was held under Senator Nisar Memon.
Members of the committee expressed dismay over recent statements of Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri and the secretary foreign affairs on the issue of Iran and stressed the need to adopt a national stance in accordance with people’s wishes.
The committee appreciated Mr Kasuri’s statement, according to which an attack on Iran was no different than an attack on the entire Ummah but criticised the foreign secretary’s statement, which said Pakistan would abide by sanctions imposed on Teheran by the United Nations’ Security Council and termed it uncalled for, pre-mature and unnecessary.
The meeting was also attended by Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Minister of State for Defence Khalid Lund, Senate’s Deputy Chairman Mir Jan Jamali, senators Prof Khurshid Ahmed, Naeem Chattha, Dilarwar Abbas and Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.
The committee also decided to seek a full briefing about the defence and defence production budgets for the next year.
It decided that the committee members should visit and assess the performance and requirements of various defence-related installations, besides visiting foreign countries to enhance interaction on defence issues.
The committee also decided to ask various defence sector institutions, including the Civil Aviation Authority, PIA, ISI, the NDC and the PNSC, to give brieifings.
It was decided that the committee members would tour China and the US over the next two years, adding that they would also visit Russia during the third year of their tenure.
The committee endorsed co-opting Air Marshal (retd) Khurshid Mirza, a former CAA DG, on voluntary basis to help prepare various reports. It also welcomed his input on matters related to the PAF.
