Parliament Monitoring Desk Islamabad
The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs met today under the chairmanship of Senator Agha Shazaib Durrani and reviewed a range of important foreign policy and diplomatic matters, including appointments and absorptions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan’s mediatory role in the Iran-US conflict, the President’s visit to Kyrgyzstan and the anti-immigrant crisis in South Africa.
Senator Danesh Kumar, Senator Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan, Senator Rubina Qaim Khani and Senator Amir Waliuddin Chisti attended the meeting along with senior officials from the relevant departments.
The committee took up the provision of additional details in relation to Starred Question No. 24 of Senator Danesh Kumar, which was referred by the House on 19 December 2024.
The question concerns the names, designations, grades and places of domicile of officers and officials appointed on deputation and subsequently absorbed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the last five years, as well as details of ad hoc and temporary appointments made during the period.
The committee was given a detailed briefing on the appointments, the criteria adopted for induction and the quota-wise distribution of seats. Officials informed the committee that appointments on deputation are not made through the quota system.
The briefing, however, raised concerns among committee members over the absorption of personnel from fields considered unrelated to the core requirements of the Foreign Service.
The committee further sought a comprehensive tabulated record of the total strength of such officers and officials, including their date and time of appointment, details of absorption and the criteria under which each appointment and absorption was made.
The committee was further informed that the Iran-US conflict has had serious repercussions for the global economy, with countries in the Global South facing particular challenges because of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption has heightened concerns over energy supplies and food security, while the economic impact is also being felt directly in Pakistan.
