Islamabad:
The National Security Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday approved a unanimous statement, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to eradicate terrorism in all its forms and promising decisive actions against elements that threaten national stability.
The country’s maximum civil and military leadership reiterated this commitment during the first meeting of the Committee under the coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). However, the meeting was boycotted by the key opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), among others.
The committee emphasized that no institution, individual or group acting in collusion with hostile forces would be allowed to undermine the peace and stability of Pakistan. While expressing regret for the absence of some opposition members, an official statement said that consultations on the matter would continue.
To the Chamber session, chaired by the president of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, attended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, head of the Army personnel (COA) also Munir, key federal ministers, parliamentarians and senior military officials.
Military leadership provided detailed information about the prevailing security situation, particularly in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The meeting was informed about ongoing anti -terrorist operations, recent threats and the comprehensive strategy of the State to guarantee internal security.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his speech, emphasized the government’s resolution to eliminate terrorism, recognizing the sacrifices of security forces. He expressed concern about the security challenges faced by Baluchistan and KP, stating that the national unit was essential to counteract these threats.
The participants of the meeting said that the head of the Army delivered approximately an information session of an hour, describing the operational measures of the military and the actions based on intelligence against terrorist groups. In addition, they said, the General Director of Military Operations complemented the informative session through the presentation on strategic countermeasures.
According to the official statement, the Committee, while strongly condemning the recent wave of terrorist activities, requested the immediate implementation of the National Action Plan and the AZM-E-INTEHKAM Strategy to dismantle terrorist networks, curb logistic support and eliminate the link between terrorism and crime.
The Committee expressed a great concern about the growing misuse of social media platforms by terrorist groups to spread propaganda, recruit followers and coordinate attacks, emphasizing the need for immediate measures to stop this abuse. He also emphasized the need to establish procedures to block digital terrorist networks.
The statement said the committee appreciated courage, courage and professional experience of security forces and law enforcement agencies (read) to counteract terrorism and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to eliminate terrorism in all its forms. The committee also expressed solidarity with the families of those affected by terrorist activities.
Shehbaz read the statement, which was unanimously adopted by the committee. The forum emphasized the need for a strategic and united political resolution to face the threat with the full strength of the State and requested a national consensus in the fight against terrorism.
Reaffirming its unwavering support for the Armed Forces and Lea, the Committee recognized its immense sacrifices and resolution of the National Defense, stating that the nation was shoulder with the shoulder with the Armed Forces, the Police, the FC and the intelligence agencies in the war against terrorism.
Meanwhile, it was reported that KP Prime Minister Ali Amin Gandapur highlighted the security problems of the province, asking for greater federal support and a better allocation of resources for the fused tribal districts. He emphasized the need to boost police and security forces, mentioning continuous efforts to increase their salaries.
In addition, according to the reports, Jamiat Ulema-E-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, expressed his disappointment for the absence of PTI of the meeting, stating that all political forces should have participated in the discussions on national security.
The former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed the need for a strong diplomatic response to the opposite terrorist networks operating from Afghanistan. He warned that instability in Afghanistan was feeding terrorism in Pakistan and urged a decisive commitment to international partners.
The meeting concluded with President Ayaz Sadiq expressing regret for the opposition decision to omit the session, emphasizing that security challenges required a collective response beyond political divisions.
The meeting was summoned after security concerns increased after a series of attacks, particularly in Baluchistan, where the militants recently kidnapped a passenger train and carried out a suicidal bombing on a convoy of security forces.
Previously, the terrorists had attacked Bannu’s cliff in KP, where 16 terrorists and five soldiers die were martyred. In addition, Maulana Hamidul Haw Haqqani was among six people who perished in a recent suicidal attack in the Darulom Haqqani in the Newshera District of KP.
