The meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security is currently underway at Parliament House, presided over by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
The meeting comes amid a surge in terrorist incidents across the country, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The government announced the security briefing days after the hijacking of the Jaffar Express, an incident that resulted in at least 31 casualties.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, federal ministers, and Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Amir Muqam, along with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI), and Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) are in attendance.
Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anwarul Haq and Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan are also participating.
Other key figures present include Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi, Chief Minister KP Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider, and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Additionally, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Kamran Murtaza, Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman, and Senator Kamil Ali Agha are in attendance.
Absences noted in high-level huddle
Notably, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was not invited to the meeting. Meanwhile, former Balochistan chief minister Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who was invited, did not attend. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of parliament also remained absent.
PTI’s conditional participation
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has been granted permission by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Political Committee to attend the meeting, sources confirmed.
However, the party has made its broader participation conditional on securing a meeting with its founding chairman, Imran Khan.
Speaking after a political committee meeting, PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram stated that party members had unanimously decided not to participate unless they were granted access to Khan. “PTI will attend only if a meeting with the founding chairman is arranged,” he said.
Khawaja Asif slams PTI for boycotting meeting
Reacting to PTI’s absence, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif criticised the party’s decision to skip the national security briefing. He remarked that PTI’s actions show that their first priority is Imran Khan, rather than the security and stability of the country.
“Their motto is ‘No Khan, No Pakistan,’” Asif said. “At a time when the country is grappling with terrorism, PTI is prioritizing political gains over national security. This is nothing short of anti-patriotism,” he added.
Planned operation against terror groups
Meanwhile, government sources indicate that authorities are considering launching a large-scale operation against the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant outfits responsible for recent attacks in Balochistan.
Rana Ahsan Afzal, an aide to the prime minister, confirmed that discussions are underway for a Multi-Party Conference (MPC) to deliberate on security challenges. He expressed hope that all political stakeholders would be invited to the proposed conference.
