Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue on Wednesday (today), aimed at unveiling Pakistan’s new strategic direction.
A two-day conference is being organised by the National Security Division (NSD) in collaboration with its advisory board comprising five leading think tanks of the country.
The new strategic direction will be based on a comprehensive security framework in line with PM Imran’s vision of peace, regional connectivity and development partnerships with the world.
At the event, the premier will also launch the first of its kind advisory portal of the NSD.
Read more: US conveyed reservations over India’s role
The portal will be a dedicated and integrated platform through which major think tanks and universities working on the subject of national security will be able to share policy recommendations directly with the national leadership.
Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa will be the guest of honour on the second day of the conference.
On March 16, Pakistan formally conveyed to the United States its ‘strongest reservations’ over a proposal to invite India at the UN-sponsored conference in order to develop a “unified approach†on the Afghan endgame.
The proposed UN conference of foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and India is part of the draft peace proposal prepared by the Biden administration in order to seek a political solution to the Afghan conflict.
“We have serious reservations over inviting India at the UN conference. How can a spoiler have any constructive role,†asked a senior Pakistani official, who has direct knowledge of the development.
“The reservations have already been conveyed to the US side,” the official disclosed to The Express Tribune while referring to the recent visit of the US special envoy for Afghanistan to Islamabad and a telephonic conversation between the US Secretary of State and the army chief.
Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, who was accompanied by General Austin Scott Miller who is leading the US forces in Afghanistan, held detailed discussions with the Pakistani civil and military authorities.
The talks from the Pakistani side were attended by Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Faiz Hameed, Pakistan’s special envoy on Afghanistan Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq and PM’s Special Assistant on national security Dr Moeed Yousaf.
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