ISLAMABAD: Senate Foreign Affairs Committee chairperson and PPP leader Senator Sherry Rehman on Wednesday demanded a joint session of parliament on Afghanistan to develop national consensus on the country’s Afghan policy.

Speaking after an in-camera session of the Foreign Affairs Committee in which Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi briefed members on developments in Afghanistan, Senator Rehman said that a unified position could help the country effectively tackle challenges that could arise because of the evolving situation in Afghanistan.

“The situation is passing through a critical phase. Pakistan can face challenges especially with regard to terrorism and spillover of refugees,” she said.

FM Qureshi reportedly told members that the government intended to adopt a strategy on Afghanistan in coordination with other regional states.

He said that he undertook a four-nation trip soon after the collapse of the Ghani administration in Afghan­istan to consult with the leadership of neighbouring countries on the Afghan issue.

The military leadership too had invited members of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir and defence committees of both houses of parliament for a briefing on developments in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2021