LAHORE: National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif has demanded an in-camera joint session of the parliament over the situation in Afghanistan.

“The people’s representatives should deliberate on the situation in Afghanistan. There is a need for a serious analysis of the situation and its possible effects on Pakistan at a national and political level,” the PML-N president said in a statement here on Friday.

Mr Shehbaz said the state of affairs in Afghanistan had an effect on the entire region. “Under such evolving circumstances, a national consensus and a unified narrative are essential. All stakeholders being on one page is crucial for national interest,” he said.

This week the PML-N leadership held a meeting on the Afghanistan situation and decided in principle that the party would not give a formal response till the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government came up with a clear-cut policy and briefed parliament on the matter.

The video-link meeting was attended by all main leaders of the party, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also demanded that the government take parliament on board before any decision regarding the new regime in the neighbouring country, warning that it would not accept any compromise on Pakistan’s stance on terrorism.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2021