ISLAMABAD: Minister for State for States and Frontier Regions and Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi Wednesday was elected as chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir.
Shehryar Afridi has replaced Syed Fakhar Imam who was leading the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir since 2019.
The committee met here at the Parliament House to elect new Chairman. Malik Amir Dogar suggested that since Kashmir is an issue beyond political considerations, the opposition parties should support a unanimous candidate for the Chairman of the Committee.
Sanaullah Khan Mastokhel proposed the name of Shehryar Afridi for the committees top slot, saying that a young parliamentarian would help raise the Kashmir issue at international forums with more vigour and force.
However, Khurram Dastagir and Mushahidullah Khan of PMLN and Sherry Rehman of the PPP argued that they had not been consulted for unanimous election of the committee Chairman and they boycotted the proceedings of the committee.
Later, the Committee elected Shehryar Afridi as new Chairman of the Committee. Addressing the participants of the committee, Shehryar Afridi said that it was a privilege for him to raise the Kashmir issue as Chairman of the committee.
He vowed to take along all the parties of the Parliament and said that all political parties speak with one voice on Kashmir issue and he would take all parties along.
He thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan and all the members who reposed trust in him and said that he would make all out efforts to come up to their expectations.
Shehryar Afridi served as the Minister of State for Interior from 31 August 2018 to 18 April 2019. He has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018.
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