The civil-military leadership is attending a crucial in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) today (Tuesday) amid rising terrorist attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The session, convened by NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, being held in the lower house will feature a comprehensive briefing to the parliamentary committee on the prevailing security situation by the military leadership.
The meeting is being attended by PM Shehbaz, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) Lieutenant General Asim Malik, chief ministers of all four provinces, and other top officials.
However, several key figures including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, NA Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members are not attending the high-level huddle.
According to PM's aide on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah, the military leadership will brief the lawmakers on the security situation.
The high-level huddle comes days after last week's harrowing attack by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants who blew up train tracks and held over 440 passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass in the Bolan district.
The military, after clearing the train and rescuing hostages, said it killed 33 attackers. Before the operation began, terrorists had martyred 26 passengers, while four security personnel were martyred during the operation.
The martyred train passengers included 18 security personnel from the army and the FC, three officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments and five civilians.
The closed-door meeting is also to be taken in the context of alarming statistics revealed in the Global Terrorism Index 2025 report which places Pakistan as the second-most affected country by terrorism.
The country, — placed at the second spot from its previously fourth position — witnessed an alarming 45% increase in terrorism-related deaths with the total rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024 — one of the steepest surges globally.
The number of terror attacks more than doubled from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024, which also marked the first year that attacks exceeded the 1,000 mark since the inception of the Index.
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain the most heavily affected provinces — which also share a border with neighbouring Afghanistan — accounted for over 96% of terrorist attacks and deaths in Pakistan in 2024.
Speaking during the meeting, PM Shehbaz noted that terrorism had become a scourge for the country and reiterated the resolve to get rid of this menace.
Noring that they could not forget the sacrifices of the martyrs, the premier paid tribute to those who had laid down their lives for the country.
Meanwhile, NA Speaker Sadiq censured the opposition for its disappointing decision to not attend the in-camera meeting.
"The opposition leader and his party should have participated in the meeting of utmost importance," the speaker said while terming the opposition's behaviour contrary to the parliamentary decisions.
