ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Tuesday reviewed Pakistan\u2019s ties with Afghanistan, the Prime Minister\u2019s visit to the United Nations, reforms in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs\u2019 document attestation system, and Pakistan\u2019s priorities in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO).<\/p>\n
The meeting, held on November 3, 2026, was chaired by Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani. Senators Sherry Rehman, Rubina Qaim Khani, Anusha Rahman Ahmed and Amir Waliuddin Chishti attended the proceedings.<\/p>\n
The committee welcomed the newly appointed Foreign Secretary and appreciated his effective projection of Pakistan\u2019s position during his tenure as the country\u2019s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Members, however, voiced concern over the absence of the Foreign Minister and stressed that his participation in committee meetings was important for meaningful parliamentary oversight and informed discussion on key foreign policy issues.<\/p>\n
Officials briefed the committee on the Prime Minister\u2019s visit to the United Nations and his important sideline engagements. The committee was told that the recent visit of the UN Secretary-General to Pakistan also reflected the country\u2019s successful diplomatic outreach.<\/p>\n
Chairman Senator Durrani directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present a detailed briefing at the next meeting on the Prime Minister\u2019s UN engagements, particularly in the context of the Iran-US conflict, the Makkah Pact, and changing regional and international developments.<\/p>\n
On reforms in the attestation process, the committee was informed that the Foreign Ministry had digitised general attestation, which makes up around 65 percent of the total attestation workload, by integrating it with the Higher Education Commission database. Officials said the manual facility had also been retained for the convenience of the public.<\/p>\n
The committee was further told that apostille attestation accounts for nearly 35 percent of the workload and that the ministry plans to link its system with NADRA to make the process quicker, more secure and efficient.<\/p>\n
Members raised concerns over delays in attestation despite the wide digitisation of NADRA services. They also questioned the fee charged for attestation of government-issued documents and urged the ministry to consider reducing the charges. The committee also suggested introducing QR codes on official documents to enable instant verification and prevent misuse.<\/p>\n
Taking notice of the need for a smooth and citizen-friendly mechanism, the chairman directed HEC, NADRA and MoFA to attend the next meeting with a comprehensive plan for an integrated e-attestation system. He also instructed NADRA and MoFA to introduce QR-code-based document verification to reduce human interaction, remove unnecessary delays and simplify the procedure.<\/p>\n
The ministry was also directed to create public awareness about the digitisation of attestation services so that citizens could benefit from the available facilities.<\/p>\n
The committee also received a briefing on Pakistan\u2019s priorities and preparations under its SCO leadership role, which the country has assumed for the first time. The ministry outlined plans to engage participating countries through different SCO events, including the upcoming summit, with emphasis on artificial intelligence, regional connectivity, youth engagement, bilateral cooperation and strengthening Pakistan\u2019s diplomatic outreach in the region.<\/p>\n
Reviewing Pakistan\u2019s upcoming engagement with the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers, the committee underlined the need to effectively use the country\u2019s leadership roles in regional organisations to promote national economic and strategic interests. The ministry briefed members on efforts to operationalise inter-regional trade quotas and develop effective transit trade and transport mechanisms through these forums.<\/p>\n
Senator Durrani said Pakistan must convert its diplomatic engagements and leadership positions in the SCO and ECO into concrete economic opportunities, better regional connectivity and stronger bilateral relations. He urged the ministry to adopt a proactive approach to secure maximum benefits from these regional platforms.<\/p>\n
The committee also received an in-camera briefing on the present state of relations with Afghanistan, including key issues and recent developments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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