ISLAMABAD (MNN); The government has invited parliamentary leaders for an in-camera briefing on the evolving regional situation scheduled for Wednesday at 11:30am, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced in the National Assembly.
Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday, the minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had invited parliamentary leaders and heads of political parties to jointly formulate a future course of action.
He stressed that the prevailing circumstances required careful handling, noting that certain sensitive matters could not be discussed publicly due to regional tensions and Pakistan’s relations with brotherly Muslim countries.
While reaffirming Pakistan’s friendly ties with Iran, Tarar pointed out that the country also maintained longstanding relations with other states, particularly Saudi Arabia, with which Pakistan has a defence agreement. He urged both treasury and opposition members to rise above political divides in the interest of national and regional security.
The minister added that the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, was extending personal invitations to parliamentary leaders. He assured lawmakers that their input on future strategy would be taken into consideration.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also informed the Senate that leaders from both houses, including opposition leaders, would receive a detailed briefing. He indicated that the situation in Afghanistan would also be discussed.
The move comes amid heightened regional tensions following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which triggered retaliatory actions by Tehran against American bases in Gulf states. The situation has further intensified an already fragile security environment in the region.
Pakistan is also facing strained relations with neighbouring Afghanistan. Last week, Afghan Taliban forces targeted Pakistani border posts following earlier Pakistani air strikes against militant hideouts inside Afghan territory. In response, Pakistan launched Operation Ghazb lil-Haq, targeting what it described as militant infrastructure across the border.
Separately, a delegation of the Pakistan Peoples Party met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad to deliberate on the domestic political climate and regional developments.
PTI Boycotts Briefing Over Access to Imran Khan
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced that it would not attend any government-convened meeting unless access was granted to its founder, Imran Khan.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the party’s political committee. In a statement, PTI strongly condemned what it termed “cowardly aggression” by the United States and Israel against Iran, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to global stability.
The party urged Iran and Gulf states to exercise restraint to prevent further escalation, while demanding that the US and Israel immediately halt what it described as illegal and provocative actions.
PTI also reviewed the government’s call for a national security briefing and expressed concern over rising tensions with Afghanistan. However, it reiterated that Imran Khan’s personal physicians were being denied access to him despite court orders, calling it a violation of his constitutional rights.
“Until court directives are implemented and arrangements are made for a meeting with the founding chairman Imran Khan, we will not participate in any meeting convened by the government,” the party declared.
