With security on agenda, National Assembly's in-camera session begins
Pakistan
PM assures lawmakers of addressing concerns regarding security situation in the country
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – An in-camera session of the National Assembly is being held today (Friday) where the military leadership is expected to brief the lawmakers on ongoing security situation in the country.
National Assembly Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf is chairing the session. The federal ministers, the advisers, MNAs and chief ministers have been invited to this national security meeting.
The federal secretaries interior, foreign affairs, finance, defence, and information and broadcasting as well as the four provincial chief secretaries and Inspector Generals of Police are also present in the meeting.
Sources said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir and Director General Inter Services Intelligence Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum would brief the participants about the current security situation in the country.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the lawmakers would be allowed to raise their questions and concerns regarding security situation at the special session.
As for the concerns of some lawmakers regarding the National Security Committee’s decision to launch a military operation against terrorists in areas bordering Afghanistan, the premier assured that their concerns would be addressed and that no such step would be taken which deteriorates the situation.
Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif said the military leadership would be present in the NA session and respond to the queries of the members.
The meeting comes days after police officials were targeted in two blasts in Quetta where four people were martyred and nearly two dozen injured.
On April 7, the National Security Committee (NSC) gave its approval to the beginning of a full-scale operation with the backing of the nation and the government.
There will be efforts made at the political, diplomatic, security, economic, and social levels as part of this all-out campaign to eradicate the scourge of terrorism from the country in all of its manifestations, it said.
The huddle reaffirmed its commitment to continue its operations until it eliminated the menace of terrorism from the country. Participants in the discussion also stressed the necessity of "comprehensive national security," where the comfort of the masses was "central."
