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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: Archive
ISLAMABAD:
The federal government decided on Tuesday to convene a closed-door briefing for political party heads and parliamentary leaders on the rapidly evolving regional security situation, including recent developments involving Iran and current tensions with Afghanistan.
The high-level meeting comes amid the war between Iran and the US-Israel alliance that has engulfed much of the Middle East, with Tehran attacking several Gulf states with drones and missiles in retaliation.
The simmering tensions have far-reaching implications, with a senior security official calling for “internal cohesion” on Monday.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the important briefing, while top military leaders are likely to join the session scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Prime Minister House on Wednesday.
In the Senate, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar announced the invitation and stated that Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah had been entrusted with the task of coordinating attendance and extending person-to-person invitations.
“This is a delicate situation,” Tarar said. “We have defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and relations with Iran. In this matter, politics must be put aside. Tomorrow, the prime minister will give a closed-door briefing to all political leaders.”
He added that participants’ suggestions and decisions would inform future strategy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also earlier referred to the briefing in the Senate, noting that it would cover the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf and issues related to Afghanistan amid “difficult times” of regional conflict.
As per the Prime Minister’s directives, Rana Sanaullah led a delegation that met Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Leader of Opposition in Senate Raja Nasir Abbas in the Leader of Opposition’s Chamber to formally extend the invitation.
“The prime minister has invited all party chiefs and parliamentarians for the closed-door briefing tomorrow,” Rana told reporters. “Current circumstances demand that we rise above personal and partisan politics and demonstrate unity for national security.”
However, Achakzai expressed reservations, arguing that the briefing should not be limited to select leaders.
“Our position is that the briefing should not be limited to specific individuals but should be delivered to the entire Parliament,” he said. “It would be better if it were held in a joint session or at least in the Senate. The regional situation is dangerous and we must trust Parliament.”
He added that a final decision would be made after internal consultations.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said consultations were being held on the government’s proposal.
“We have proposed to convene a session of Parliament and in principle there is no disagreement on this. However, the government believes that an exclusive meeting of party leaders should be held first. Discussions on this are ongoing,” he said.
He further noted that there was no rigid position on the part of either party, but rather broad agreement that a parliamentary meeting should be held shortly thereafter.
“There is consensus that within a day the elected representatives of the people should be able to openly discuss the situation,” he said.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Advocate Gohar Ali Khan confirmed receiving the message from the government and said consultations were underway with the party.
Wednesday’s briefing follows a high-level civil-military review on Sunday, chaired by the prime minister, which assessed developments in the Gulf, including the fallout from recent attacks on Iran, along with border issues with Afghanistan, internal threats and evacuation agreements. Due to its classified nature, the details of that session remain confidential.
PTI sets conditions
Meanwhile, the PTI announced that it would not attend the prime minister’s meeting. The party said it would not participate in any engagement called by the government unless its founding president was allowed to meet his personal doctor.
In a formal statement, PTI said it would boycott the meeting and any future government engagement until its condition is met.
According to the statement, PTI made it clear that “until the founding president is allowed to meet his personal doctor, we will not participate in any meeting called by the government.”
The party did not provide further details about the agenda for the prime minister’s meeting, but categorically linked its participation to ensuring medical access to its jailed leader.
