Islamabad (TDI): The in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Tuesday resolved to deal with the terrorist groups, with an “iron hand”.
The high-level national meeting was convened by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif amid rising incidents of terrorism in the country in general and in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular.
The meeting was attended by PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence Lieutenant General Asim Malik, chief ministers of all four provinces, and other top officials.
However, several key figures including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members skipped the high-level meeting.
PM’s aide on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that the military leadership briefed the lawmakers on the security situation.
The high-level huddle comes days after last week’s heinous attack by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army militants who blew up train tracks and held more than 440 passengers hostage in a day-long standoff with security services in a remote mountain pass in the Bolan district.
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The military, after clearing the train and rescuing hostages, stated it killed 33 attackers.
Before the operation started, terrorists had martyred 26 passengers, while 4 security personnel were martyred during the operation.
The martyred train passengers included eighteen security personnel from the army and the FC, 3 officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments and 5 civilians.
The closed-door meeting is also to be taken in the context of shocking statistics revealed in the Global Terrorism Index 2025 report which places Pakistan as the second-most affected nation by terrorism.
Read More: Jaffar Express Hijacking: Calls Traced to Afghanistan, Says FO
Pakistan, placed at the second position from its previously 4th spot, witnessed an alarming 45 percent increase in terrorism-related deaths with the total rising from 748 in 2023 to 1,081 in 2024 — one of the steepest surges internationally.
The number of terrorist attacks more than doubled from 517 in 2023 to 1,099 in 2024, which also marked the first year that attacks surpassed the 1,000 mark since the inception of the Index.
