PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari welcomes NSC meeting on Afghanistan

• PPP chairperson welcomes NA Speaker Asad Qaiser's decision 
• Bilawal says he will participate in NSC meeting on Afghanistan.
• PPP leader claims NA speaker summoned NSC meeting on party’s recommendation.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari welcomed National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser's decision to call a meeting of the National Security Committee  (NSC) on Afghanistan and announced that he will attend the briefing. 

"I had demanded on the floor of the house that the Parliament be briefed on the Afghanistan situation by the relevant departments and institutions," tweeted Bilawal. 

The PPP chairperson welcomed Speaker Qaiser's decision and said that he will participate in the meeting on Afghanistan.

Later, while speaking to the media outside the parliament, Bilawal claimed that the speaker had summoned a meeting of the NSC on his party’s recommendation.

Read more: One cannot pass the buck to Pakistan for peace in Afghanistan, says Qureshi

The PPP chairman also said that he does not consider PM Imran Khan’s comments on giving military bases to the US after the withdrawal of NATO troops.

“We will keep our point of view over giving military bases in the NSC committee,” said Bilawal. He also claimed that the NSC was formed on the recommendation of the PPP.

Lawmakers to get in-camera briefing on national security

Earlier today it was reported that a session of the National Assembly's National Security Committee has been summoned for a briefing on the latest situation and regional issues amid the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser will chair the in-camera meeting convening on July 1 at 3pm. 

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak will also be part of the proceedings.

Issues related to national security will be on the agenda. Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto and other lawmakers were also invited.

Read more: Pakistan will ‘absolutely not’ give bases to CIA for Afghanistan operations, says PM Imran Khan

The meeting will also discuss the current situation in Afghanistan and its impact on Pakistan.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, federal ministers and parliamentarians have been specially invited for the briefing.

Pakistan has, on multiple occasions, raised the issue of peaceful settlement of the Afghan imbroglio and has urged all the groups to sit and sort out their differences. 

PM Imran Khan, in his interaction with the US media, pointed out that there’s no military solution and that there’s no favourite for Pakistan.

Violence has increased in the war-torn country since the foreign troops' withdrawal started.

Read more: Stability in Afghanistan is important for Pakistan, says Fawad Chaudhry

In a recent interview, National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf also expressed concern on the current Afghanistan situation, saying that "it is not good".