ISLAMABAD: A closed-door session was held in the National Assembly (NA) to discuss the prevailing security situation in Pakistan on Friday. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was in attendance, spoke to the media after the session and stated that the focus was on national security.
The top military leadership provided a briefing during the session, which was chaired by NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The meeting’s agenda, as stated in a notice by the National Assembly Secretariat, was to receive a briefing on current issues of national security. The invite was forwarded to all the federal ministers, advisers to the premier.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum gave a detailed overview of the current situation to the members of the parliament during the special huddle.
The briefing follows a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting last week, where the top civil and military leadership reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating terrorism threats and relaunching the National Action Plan (NAP) within 15 days to combat militants reportedly entering from Afghanistan.
The NSC meeting was convened after a terrorist attack at Peshawar Police Lines. The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement indicating that the operation to eliminate terrorism in all its forms in Pakistan would involve measures at political, diplomatic, security, economic, and social levels.
Several political parties, including allies of the federal government, have expressed concerns over the proposed military offensive against militants. Many have stated that those responsible for bringing back militants to the country should be brought to justice before launching an offensive.
Country’s law and order situation has been deteriorated in the last few months with terrorist groups executing attacks across Pakistan. Since the breakdown of talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in November last year, the militant group has intensified its attacks, particularly targeting police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and areas bordering Afghanistan. The insurgents have also increased their violent activities in Balochistan and made a connection with the TTP.
