NA session: India’s role crucial for Afghan peace, says Qureshi

Meanwhile, Mazari thanks Bilawal for removing ban on PTM chief’s entry into Sindh

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday told the National Assembly that India’s cooperation would also be needed for bringing peace to the war-torn Afghanistan.

“Some meetings have taken place [among key stakeholders] for establishment of peace in Afghanistan. India also has stakes in Afghanistan and its cooperation will also be needed,” Qureshi said.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that peace could not be established in Afghanistan through military power. Today the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Taliban also wanted a solution through dialogue, he added.

“Pakistan hopes that India will review its policy in occupied Kashmir,” he said.

Earlier some lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches traded barbs when Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif entered the house. Shehbaz, who is also the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, is currently detained in connection with an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak appealed to the opposition and treasury members not to spoil the atmosphere of the house.  Rana Tanveer of the PML-N said the opposition wanted the house to conduct its business but the ruling party was ruining the atmosphere.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser later issued a warning to ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Raja Riaz, saying action would be taken against the members who used abusive language.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari thanked Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for removing a ban on Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pishteen from entering Sindh. “The government is bound to accept just demands of people,” she said.

MNA Mohsin Dawar from former tribal areas said: “We are talking about the human rights while these rights are being violated in the country. Two MNAs, including myself, have been stopped from going abroad.” He said Pishteen and his colleagues were stopped from going outside the Quetta Airport. Mazari said the government supported basic human rights and recovery of missing persons.

The National Assembly was informed that the government had decided to increase the number of community welfare attachés in various countries, including Gulf states, to effectively look into the issues faced by overseas Pakistanis.

Responding to a question about the issues of Pakistani workers in Gulf countries, Minister of State for Communications Murad Saeed said labour protection agreements would be signed with the authorities of other states and legal assistance would be ensured for the employees.

List of 25 prisoners given to Afghanistan

Pakistan has handed over a list of 25 prisoners to Afghanistan with the request for their immediate release after waiving their fines, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbass said while responding to a question.

She said that during the inaugural session of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS) on July 22 in Kabul, the foreign secretary had raised the issue with the Afghan deputy foreign minister.

“Two follow-up meetings are also held with the director general (consular affairs) of the Afghan Foreign Office,” she said, adding that the list of 25 prisoners who had completed their sentences was also shared with the request that their financial penalties be waived.

The Pakistani Embassy in Kabul arranged repatriation of 17 Pakistani prisoners released from Afghan jails during February 20 to August 30 this year. An amount of $200 was also given to each of them for travelling to Pakistan.

On Pakistan's consistent demand for consular access to the detainees in Pul-e-Charkhi Jail in Kabul and Baghram Detention Centre, she said the Afghan government had arranged a visit of Pakistani Embassy officials to the detention centre earlier this year.

The parliamentary secretary said the embassy officials met around 200 inmates in batches of 25 to 30, reported to be Pakistani nationals, but no individual interaction was allowed to ascertain the charges and the sentences handed down to them.

Earlier, Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Javaria Zafar Aheer told the house that the government was well aware of the problems of Pakistani workers in Gulf countries and had taken several steps for their solution.

She said there were only a few cases of non-payment or delayed salaries of Pakistani workers in the Gulf countries. These cases are regularly taken up by the welfare wings of Pakistani missions in the host countries with the employers and companies concerned for their resolution.