News Detail
Event Title: Senator Irfan-Ul-Haque Siddiqui, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs presiding over a Meeting of The Committee at Parliament House Islamabad
Event Date: 2025-04-14
In a significant legislative milestone, the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by *Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, unanimously approved *The Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (Implementation) Bill, 2025 during its session today. This marks a crucial step towards aligning Pakistan’s national laws with international obligations under the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
The meeting was attended by *Senators Sherry Rehman, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, Rana Mahmood Hassan, and Rubina Qaim Khani, along with **Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Sadiq Khan, the **Secretary Foreign Affairs*, and other senior ministry officials.
Decades-Old Bill Finally Moves Forward
The Committee was briefed that the bill, pending for decades, was passed by the *National Assembly on January 23, 2025, following its approval by the **Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC)* in *November 2024. The draft had also been vetted by the **Ministry of Law and Justice* and endorsed by both the *CCLC and Federal Cabinet* prior to parliamentary introduction.
The bill mandates the establishment of a national mechanism to ensure compliance with the *BWC, prevent the **creation, manufacture, and movement of toxins* for biological weapons within Pakistan, and implement monitoring systems to fulfill treaty obligations.
*No additional financial or human resources* are required under the bill, the Ministry informed.
Senator *Sherry Rehman* raised concerns regarding the undefined structure of the proposed *Central Authority* that will oversee BWC compliance. She emphasized the need to determine its composition prior to the bill’s passage and emphasized the inclusion of Provincial Governments on the subject. However, to avoid further delay in the long-pending legislation,The amendment was formally incorporated before unanimous passage.
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### *Support for Families of Overseas Pakistani Prisoners*
Under *Agenda Item No. 3, the Committee reviewed the **implementation of recommendations made on September 20, 2024, regarding the establishment of a **Facilitation Desk at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)* to assist families of Pakistanis imprisoned abroad.
Officials from the *Overseas Pakistanis Directorate* presented a detailed briefing, emphasizing that the Directorate acts as the *central coordination hub* for addressing the concerns of the families of approximately *9 million Pakistanis* living abroad.
Key services provided include: Information Provision, Case Monitoring, Centralized tracking of detained citizens , Documentation Assistance and Legal and Diplomatic Coordination
In a notable achievement, the Ministry reported the *successful repatriation of over 2,000 Pakistani prisoners, particularly from **Saudi Arabia, through negotiated **prisoner transfer agreements* and streamlined logistical coordination for their return.
### *Pakistan-Afghanistan and Iran Developments Discussed in In-Camera Briefing*
An *in-camera session* was held to assess Pakistan’s diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan amid recent regional developments. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Sadiq Khan,
briefed the committee and responded to wide-ranging questions. The Committee was informed of ongoing *active engagement with Afghan counterparts, and expressed optimism about **future bilateral improvements*.
The *recent tragic incident involving killing of 8 Pakistanis in Iran was also reviewed. The Committee was informed that **all eight deceased individuals were from Bahawalpur, and repatriation arrangements are underway. The Ministry highlighted that **Iranian authorities have extended cooperation, and the **Embassy in Tehran* is actively engaged in ensuring the swift return of the bodies.
The *starred question* submitted by *Senator Danesh Kumar* was deferred due to his absence from the session.