Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Briefs Parliament on Afghanistan Tensions, Regional Security
Islamabad – Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Wednesday to discuss the escalating tensions with Afghanistan, as well as broader regional security concerns in the Middle East and Gulf region, according to state media reports.
Meeting Details and Attendees
The Prime Minister is briefing parliamentary leaders on Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts amid recent tensions. Attendees include Chairman Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Deputy Chairman Senate Syedal Khan, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Also present are Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attaullah Tarar, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Abdul Aleem Khan of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Khalid Hussain Magsi of Balochistan Awami Party, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Syed Mustafa Kamal, and Faisal Sabzwari of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Chaudhry Salik Hussain of PML-Q, Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, and Special Assistant Talha Burki.
Senators Sherry Rehman of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Anwarul Haq Kakar and Manzoor Ahmed Kakar of Balochistan Awami Party, Pervaiz Rashid of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Jan Muhammad, Member National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Dr Farooq Sattar and Amin ul Haq of Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pullain Baloch of National Party are also participating.
Context of Rising Tensions
This meeting comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban, describing it as a response to “unprovoked aggression” along the border.
Prime Minister Sharif has stated that Pakistan’s armed forces have the capability to “crush any aggressive ambitions,” and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif declared an “open war” with the Taliban.
The United States has backed Pakistan’s “right to defend itself” against the Afghan Taliban government.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has also praised Prime Minister Sharif and declined to intervene in the conflict.