ISLAMABAD: The Senate standing Committee on Defence has stressed the need for peaceful conditions on the country’s western borders for secure and safe trade with Iran and Afghanistan.

Chaired by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, the body was briefed on Tuesday about counter-terrorism operations conducted by the army in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa as well as the security situation on borders with Iran and Afghanistan.

The committee also discussed in detail the security situation on the Pak-Afghan border and expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the government towards ensuring peace on the border.

They also underlined the need for a proactive and consistent strategy that should focus on a pro-people approach with no compromise with any terrorist group.

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed condemned the recent murder of Haji Sher Muhammad, the grandson of legendary Haji Mirzali Khan Wazir, commonly known as Faqir of Ipi, in North Waziristan, and the arrest of MNA Ali Wazir.

Mr Sayed commended the recent meeting held between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iran President Ebrahim Raisi at the Pak-Iran border and termed it a positive step forward in strengthening relations between the two countries.

He also welcomed the recent high-level visits to Iran by senior security and diplomatic officials of Pakistan, which he hoped would yield positive results for peace, border security and economic connectivity.

He termed close ties with Iran as pivotal for Pakistan’s border and energy security.

Mr Sayed concurred with the views of Mr Mushtaq, saying that the arrest of Mr Wazir at this time would be detrimental to security of border lands while it was also a violation of the law passed by parliament that explicitly stated that “no member of parliament should be arrested without the National Assembly speaker’s permission”.

He called for the release of MNA Ali Wazir.

The chairman of the Defence Committee referred these two issues to the Senate Human Rights Com­mittee, whose chairman, Senator Walid Iqbal, agreed to put it on the Human Rights Committee’s agenda for consideration.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2023