Lawmakers from all parties expressed concerns about militancy and policies during a heated National Assembly session.
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Tuesday continued the debate on the security situation in Balochistan, with lawmakers from all parties questioning counter-terrorism responses, governance failures and political direction, while unanimously adopting resolutions condemning terrorism and expressing solidarity with the armed forces and victims.
Opening the debate, JUI-F MNA Alia Kamran raised questions on official claims relating to the recent security operations, asking why responses to the attacks were delayed and what happened to the remaining terrorists if 177 had been killed. Stressing that her party does not support terrorism in any form, she called for an examination of the factors pushing women in Balochistan to commit suicide attacks and urged the State to protect the youth of the province by addressing the root causes of militancy.
MQM-P MNA Sofia Saeed said there should be no leniency towards terrorists or those sympathizing with them, adding that national unity against terrorism requires an effective local government system.
Highlighting the socio-economic grievances, JUI-F MNA Usman Badini said hostile forces had filled the vacuum created by the State’s inability to provide basic rights and opportunities to the youth of Balochistan. He questioned disparities in electricity supply, access to scholarships under CPEC and the state’s response to coordinated attacks in multiple districts. He said denying rights would provoke a backlash and pointed to the lack of basic infrastructure, including fuel facilities, in much of the province.
The debate intensified when opposition MNA and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa could not be addressed with condemnations alone. He argued that when the state failed to act responsibly and ignored public complaints, alienation occurred.
Turning to political developments, he questioned the message conveyed by the continued imprisonment of what he described as the country’s most popular leader and said public trust in institutions, including the judiciary, was eroding.
Qaiser also pointed out what he called political double standards, questioned foreign policy priorities and urged dialogue with neighboring countries, including Afghanistan. He said the opposition supported the National Action Plan but demanded inclusion and confidence-building in the security policy.
Read: Rising terrorism triggers call for troop surge in Balochistan
MNA Ijazul Haq, speaking later, questioned the effectiveness of measures against oil smuggling and asked how fuel continued to travel from border regions to major cities despite the presence of security forces. He alleged foreign involvement in Balochistan, expressed concern over supply of arms to terrorists and called for accountability over the use of development funds and the province’s participation under the NFC Award.
Recalling past insurgencies, Haq referred to military operations and reconciliation efforts in previous decades, arguing that inclusive policies and blanket amnesties had resulted in a long peace. He urged the formation of a national advisory committee to address the crisis and called on the government to review its strategy.
Following the debate, the House unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, describing them as inhuman crimes against innocent civilians, including women and children. The resolution commended the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, the Balochistan government and the civil administration for their response, expressed solidarity with the families of the martyrs and the injured and called for zero tolerance and decisive action against terrorist networks.
The resolution stated that evidence available in multiple incidents pointed to external sponsorship, raised concerns about India’s alleged role and called for a coordinated national response integrating political, diplomatic, military, intelligence and legal measures. He stressed that the fight against terrorism required unity between parties and reaffirmed the State’s commitment to public safety and national security.
Separately, the assembly also unanimously passed a resolution on Kashmir Solidarity Day, reaffirming Jammu and Kashmir as an international dispute to be resolved in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. The House condemned human rights violations in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, rejected India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, welcomed recent debates in the British Parliament on the issue and urged the international community to play an active role in resolving the dispute.
