Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs meets

ISLAMABAD  - Islamabad is concerned about po­tential vetoes from India regard­ing Pakistan’s inclusion in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) group, a parlia­mentary body meeting was told yesterday.

The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs convened at the Par­liament House was chaired by Sen­ator Farooq Hamid Naek to discuss the matter. The meeting commenced with a comprehensive briefing pro­vided by the Caretaker Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, regard­ing Pakistan’s efforts to secure full membership in BRICS.

The FM delved into the his­torical context and objectives of BRICS, highlighting its recent ex­pansion to include member states such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Argenti­na, Egypt, and Ethiopia. He empha­sized that BRICS expansion relied on members’ unanimous consen­sus. He said Pakistan was actively exploring the possibility of joining this group due to its goals of re­shaping the International Finan­cial Architecture and reducing de­pendency on the US dollar.

About India’s possible negative role, FM Jilani reassured that any member resorting to such a veto jeopardizes its own standing with­in the group. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a consultation process with relevant stakeholders to streamline Pakistan’s entry into BRICS, he added.

He also emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to not engaging in regional power bloc politics, aim­ing instead for positive relations with all nations. Responding to questions about Pakistan’s rela­tionship with the United States, the Foreign Minister highlighted the global ramifications of con­flicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine situation. He underscored Paki­stan’s policy of maintaining posi­tive relationships with all nations, given the interconnectedness of today’s world.

The Committee Chairman in­quired about the advantages and disadvantages of joining BRICS, to which the Foreign Minister ex­plained that Pakistan’s member­ship would grant it a voice on a im­portant international forum and facilitate trade and economic rela­tions with member countries. Ad­dressing a query regarding the re­cent TTP attack in Chitral and the resulting law and order situation, the Foreign Minister assured that the situation is under control. Pa­kistan is actively engaged with the Afghan interim government, with our ambassador meeting Afghan officials to address the matter.

He expressed Pakistan’s com­mitment to preventing such sit­uations from recurring through continued dialogue with Afghan counterparts.

Shifting the focus to the appoint­ment policy for non-career Ambas­sadors and High Commissioners, along with the criteria for postings in various countries, the Foreign Minister clarified that there is a 20% quota for non-career appointments, which is strictly adhered to.

About the selection of non-ca­reer diplomats, he stated that the government prioritizes suitability without specific criteria or rules. The Committee meeting was at­tended by Senators Mushahid Hus­sain Sayed, Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Palwasha Muhammadzai Khan, Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haid­eri, Walid Iqbal, and Muhammad Tahir Bizenjo, in addition to Care­taker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.