Afghanistan priority of Pak foreign policy:Mushahid

Jalil Afridi
KABUL:  Afghanistan is the first Priority of Pakistan\’s Foreign Policy,  said Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed while chairing the first-ever Dialogue between Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production of Pakistan and Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Committee of Meshrano Jirga of Afghan Parliament that began in Kabul today. On the sidelines of the Dialogue, the Pakistani Delegation also called on the Afghan President Mr. Hamid Karzai and held a candid interaction with him. Parliamentarians from Pakistan and Afghanistan joined the first day of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Defenec Committees  Dialogue which focused on issues including Security and the Defence cooperation between the two countries. Other subjects that are discussed today between the Parliamentarians of the two sides included existing and emerging challenges in Pak-Afghan Relations, Cross-Border Terrorism, Narcotics Smuggling and Border Management. Senator Sayed Farrukh Shah Jenab, Secretary of the Meshrano Jirga and Senator Haji Mohammed Daud Asas, Deputy Chairman, Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Commission of Meshrano Jirga jointly co-chaired the dialogue from Afghan side whereas Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed Chaired the Dialogue from the Pakistan side. The Pakistan delegation who took part in the first day of the Dialogue in leadership of Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production, included Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and member Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production, Senator Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Pakistan, Senator Sehar Kamran, Member, Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production. Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Convener, Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Senate of Pakistan & Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, Senator Begum Najma Hameed, Member Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, Senator Dr. Muhammad Jehangir Bader, Member, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan, Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel, Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan and Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, MNA; Chairman, Council of Islamic Ideology and former member of the Senate Defence Committee. Members of Meshrano Jirga who participated in the Dialogue included Senator Gulali Akbari, Secretary, Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Commission of Meshrano Jirga, Senator Abdul Ahad Sultanzoy, Member, Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Commission, Senator Saliha Mehrzad, Member, Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Commission, Senator H. Mohammed Amin Safi, Member, Defence, Internal Security and Local Administration Commission, Dr. Hazrat Shah Nooristani, Member, International Affairs Commission, Senator Mohammadin Humdard, Member, International Affairs Commission, and Senator Hafiz Abdul Qayyum, Member, International Affairs Commission. Senator Mohammad Alam Ezdeyar, First Deputy Chairman of the Meshrano Jirga, also joined the discussion as special invitee and shared his views at the occasion. Senator Arif Ullah Pashtoon, and Senator Usman Rehmani were also present.