Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor Wednesday gave an in-camera briefing to parliamentary leaders on Indian aggression and Pakistan’s response to it.
The briefing, held at the Parliament House in Islamabad, also had Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in presence. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari attended the session along with party delegations. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) delegation included Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Raja Zafarul Haq, Mushahidullah Khan, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah and Marriyum Aurangzeb. The PPP delegates included Khursheed Shah, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Saleem Mandviwala and Raza Rabbani.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) was represented by Maulana Asad Mehmood, Maulana Wasay, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Maulana Ata-ur-Rehman. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was represented by Aminul Haque and Senator Saif. Balochistan National Party (BNP) was represented by Agha Hassan Baloch while the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) was represented by Anwarul Haq Kakar and Khalid Magsi. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was represented by Tariq Bashir Cheema.
After the session, Foreign Minister Qureshi said they took parliamentary leaders into confidence at the meeting. “The meeting went well; I am thankful to all the parliamentary leaders,” he said, adding that the participants listened to the briefing with patience. He said the parliamentary leaders expressed complete solidarity with Pakistan, the government and the armed forces.
“The briefing went well,” the DG ISPR said, in response to a question by a journalist after the session concluded. When asked about the session and participants’ morale, Zardari said, “The morale is high”.
Published in Daily Times, February 28th 2019.
