Country adopted ‘balanced stance’ on Venezuela: Senator Durrani
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has adopted a ‘balanced stance’ on the Venezuela issue in line with international law and diplomatic norms, said Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, Chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Talking to Business Recorder after an in-camera session of the committee held here on Monday, Durrani said that countries could be divided into three broad groups based on their response to the United States’ actions in Venezuela.
“Countries such as Russia, China, and others took a defiant stance, while some openly supported the US move. Most European and Muslim countries; however, adopted a balanced approach and responded within the framework of international law and diplomatic norms. Pakistan followed the same course and aligned itself with this majority group, while maintaining a delicate balance in its policy,” he said.He said that Western media was creating unnecessary hype over the situation in Iran, adding that no country had closed its embassy or withdrawn its diplomats. According to him, the situation was not as grave as projected by the Western media.
In the open session, the Senate’s panel received a briefing on issues relating to the procedural framework of apostille attestation of documents.
The committee was briefed that apostille attestation is recognized in 112 countries worldwide and is governed under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of attestation for Foreign Public Documents (1961). It was informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs receives thousands of documents daily for both general and apostille attestation. To manage the heavy workload, the Ministry has authorized regional offices for attestation in various districts of Pakistan, based on data reflecting a high volume of attestation requests, in order to facilitate the public.
A senior official of the Foreign Ministry told the panel that they are going to open attestation centres in Sialkot and Faisalabad to facilitate the public, especially the exporters.
The panel was further briefed that the Ministry has engaged five courier companies for attestation purposes to ensure rapid public service delivery.
Chairman Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani urged the ministry officials to encourage courier companies for improved service delivery and directed that applicants, particularly students, should be provided maximum incentives for opting attestation through courier service. He also directed to promote the use of courier services for attestation so that people have not to travel for the purpose.
In response to a query regarding the percentage of different categories of attestation requests, the committee was informed that approximately 26percent of requests pertain to educational documents, while the remaining include NADRA documents, court-related orders, and documents issued by Federal and Provincial authorities. The committee urged the Ministry to establish walk-in attestation facilities in South Punjab, owing to the large number of applicants in the region, to further facilitate the public. The ministry also informed the committee that it generated approximately Rs. 2 billion from apostille attestation during the previous year; however, no fee is currently charged for general attestation. It was further informed that the Ministry is considering the introduction of a fee for general attestation as well.
The Chairman appreciated the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in facilitating the public with regard to document attestation through courier service that enabled people of far flung areas to get attestation facility with ease without travelling to Islamabad. He directed that the entire attestation process be digitized so that no room for any malpractices be there anymore. He further emphasized that minimizing human intervention in the attestation process would enhance transparency. He also encouraged the use of modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as integration with the databases of NADRA, HEC, and other relevant institutions to ensure the authenticity of documents.
The Chairman commended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its officials for effectively maintaining Pakistan’s international relations across the globe.
The meeting was attended by Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, Senator Rubina Qaimkhani, and Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026