After another border attack, Senate body calls for review of Afghanistan policy

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday called for revisiting the country’s foreign policy toward Afghanistan amid a fresh cross-border attack by Afghan security forces at Chaman border, killing one person and injuring 12 others.

The committee, chaired by its chairman Farooq H Naek, was given a briefing by Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan on the recent assassination attempt on Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani in Kabul.

He said Pakistani diplomat was walking in the embassy yard when he was attacked, adding that eight Sniper shots and 100 rounds of bullets were fired at the distance of 100 meters from the eighth floor of a building in the vicinity of the embassy’s compound. “Thankfully, it was not a physical intrusion, and miraculously, he [diplomat] remained safe,” he added.

He told the committee that one suspect has been arrested by the Afghan government and an investigation regarding the incident is under way.

He further said that the Afghan government has assured that the perpetrator of the incident will not be spared in any case. He further stated that Islamic State-Khorasan has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack.

He said Pakistan wants peace in Afghanistan, as peace and stability in Afghanistan are indispensable for Pakistan.

In his remarks, the chairman committee expressed serious reservations over the assassination attempt on a Pakistani envoy in Kabul. He said that given Afghanistan’s attitude towards Pakistan, there is a dire need for Pakistan to revisit its policy towards Afghanistan.

“We are acting as a spokesperson of Afghanistan in the entire world, but on the contrary, the Afghan government often opposes Pakistan and raises guns against us which is very unfortunate,” he added.

Senior officials of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) also briefed the committee on problems being faced by the Pakistani community living in Rwanda as raised by the community members during a meeting with the Pakistani delegation led by Farooq Naek.

The chairman committee expressed serious reservations over the harassment of the Pakistani community living in Rwanda by FIA officials at the airports while visiting Pakistan.

“Pakistani community when on their way back to Rwanda are being harassed by the FIA officials at the airport, contrary to the fact that Pakistanis have a visa-on-arrival facility. Such an attitude of FIA is regrettable,” said the chairman.

He also handed over the written complaints received from the Pakistani High Commissioner in Rwanda to the FIA officials and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and asked for a detailed written reply to all the complaints in the next meeting.

The meeting was attended by Saadia Abbasi and Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, besides by Secretary MoFA Asad Majeed and senior officials of the FIA.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022