Comments on country's issues with neighbours: Parliamentarians urged to demonstrate a lot of care, prudence

Interior Minister Brigadier Ijaz Ahmed Shah (retd) Wednesday advised parliamentarians to be very careful while making comments on Pakistan's issues with its neighbouring countries including Iran, India and Afghanistan.
While responding to a question asked by the parliamentarians about Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement in Iran that Pakistani soil had been used to undertake attacks against Iran, Shah said that India, Iran and Afghanistan are neighbours and relations with them are of sensitive nature. He was responding to questions during the meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Interior.
"Particularly our relations with Iran are important as well as of sensitive nature; therefore, it would be better not to discuss matters related to Iran now," he said, adding that he will brief the Senate Standing Committee on Interior in-camera in this regard.
He said that unfortunately India is Pakistan's neighbour. Former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his visit to Pakistan had said that neighbours cannot be changed, he said.
The minister said that unfortunately instead of being a welfare state, Pakistan has become a security state. "A single government cannot be blamed for the current situation," he said, adding, "We have made this journey of 70 years together."
Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior, Senator Rehman Malik said that Pakistan's relations with three countries including India, Iran and Afghanistan are of very sensitive nature.
Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi said that the Ministry of Interior should brief the committee about the law and order in Balochistan and Prime Minister's statement in Iran.
The committee should be informed about the groups which have used Pakistani soil for undertaking attacks against Iran, he said, adding that such kinds of statement can be used against Pakistan.
Abbasi said, "We have never accepted that the terrorist organisations are using Pakistani soil. The Ministry of Interior might have briefed Prime Minister before his visit to Iran," he added.
Senator Dr Shahzad Waseem said that the statement of Prime Minister in Iran was taken out of context.
The committee strongly condemned terrorist attacks in Ormara area of Balochistan and Hazarganji area of Quetta and offered prayers for the departed souls. The committee also condemned terrorist attack in Sri Lanka and observed a one-minute silence.
The parliamentary body also recommended all the security agencies to remain on high alert following terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka.
The committee also took notice of media reports about the construction of firing range in the US Embassy compound. The committee asked chief commissioner Islamabad to brief it about the matter of construction of firing range. "The construction of firing range and weapons training by an embassy is very sensitive matter," Malik noted.
While briefing the committee, Director General Immigration and Passport (I&P) Directorate, Ishrat Ali said that the Ministry of Finance has asked I&P Directorate to keep budget demand for the next financial year below Rs 3 billion while the budget for Printing Cooperation is Rs 3 billion. "If budget is reduced then it will definitely affect printing of passports during the next year," he added.
Ali said that I&P Directorate has generated over Rs 20 billion revenue during the current year. "Against total requirement of Rs 6.2 billion, only Rs 2.752 billion was allocated for passport directorate," he added.
He said that I&P Directorate has set up 173 offices across the country under the machine readable passport project. Under the same project, 93 international offices have been established of which 49 are manned by I&P staff, he explained.
Malik said that Pakistanis in the foreign countries are facing problems in getting their passports. A subcommittee headed by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed was formed which will review budgetary challenges of I&P directorate and submit recommendations.
Among others, the meeting was attended by senators including Ateeq Shaikh, Rana Maqbool, Haji Momin Khan Afridi and Sardar Shafique Tareen, secretary interior, additional secretary interior, mayor Islamabad and chairman CDA.