News Detail
Event Title: Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani, presiding over a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs after being Elected as Chairman of the Committee at Parliament House Islamabad.
Event Date: 2025-12-12
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was held at the Parliament House to elect the Committee Chairperson. During the meeting, Senator Anwar-ul-Haq proposed the name of Senator Agha Shahzaib Durrani for the position of Committee Chairman, which was seconded by Senator Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan.
Senator Agha Shahzeb Durrani was unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs. The newly elected Chairman expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the party leadership, Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, and the Committee members for reposing confidence in him. He stated that the Committee holds immense importance, and with the cooperation of its members, steps will be taken to further improve Pakistan’s foreign affairs. He added that diplomatic matters would be thoroughly reviewed, and a strategy would be formulated to facilitate not only Pakistanis traveling abroad but also those residing overseas.
Committee members Senator Anwar-ul-Haq, Senator Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan, Senator Rubina Qaimkhani, and Senator Atta-ur-Rehman offered prayers for the late Senator Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui and congratulated the newly elected Chairman, assuring him of their full cooperation.
Senator Anwar-ul-Haq and Senator Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan highlighted the significance of the Committee, stressing the need to enhance diplomatic ties with African, Latin American, and other countries that have long been neglected in foreign policy. They proposed that Committee meetings be convened across Pakistan including in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh to review issues related to foreign interference and other relevant matters.
Senator Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan raised serious concerns regarding thousands of students forced to queue outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the attestation of degrees and documents, alleging that billions of rupees in corruption are taking place in this process. Senator Anwar-ul-Haq added that corruption would persist unless electronic solutions were adopted, pointing out that a powerful mafia was active in this sector. The Committee was also informed that universities across the country were charging students exorbitant fees for the attestation of degrees issued by their own institutions. Terming this an injustice to students, the members recommended that such practices be stopped immediately.
The Committee also decided to convene a joint meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, and the Senate Committee on Overseas Pakistanis to thoroughly examine issues related to degree and document attestation and to propose measures for improvement.
The meeting was attended by Senators Anwar-ul-Haq, Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan, Rubina Qaimkhani, Atta-ur-Rehman, and senior officers of the Senate Secretariat.