- Military leadership to brief lawmakers on security situation.
- PTI’s Akbar called for holding consultation on attending huddle.
- Unauthorised individuals would be strictly barred from entry: NA.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to attend the in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday).
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on late Sunday, the military leadership will brief the lawmakers on the prevailing security situation at the in-camera meeting at Parliament House on Tuesday amid a surge in terror incidents in the country.
The session will be attended by parliamentary leaders of political parties in the National Assembly and the Senate, along with their nominated representatives. Relevant cabinet members will also be in attendance.
Amid confusion surrounding the participation of the Imran Khan-led party, sources told Geo News that several PTI leaders including chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan put their weight behind attending the crucial NA session.
However, PTI KP chapter President Junaid Akbar called for holding a consultation on the matter of attending the key huddle amid a rift between the opposition and coalition government.
Insiders claimed the PTI forwarded 14 names of lawmakers to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq for participation in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly has announced stringent security measures ahead of the in-camera meeting scheduled to take place at the Parliament House on March 18 at 11:00 am.
According to a spokesperson, the National Assembly Secretariat confirmed that unauthorised individuals would be strictly barred from entry.
Additionally, all entry cards, including those issued to media personnel, will be deemed invalid for the session.
To maintain confidentiality, all forms of recording, videography, and photography within the premises have been strictly prohibited during the meeting.
The spokesperson acknowledged the media’s role in a democratic society but urged media representatives and other stakeholders to cooperate in the greater interest of national security.
The crucial NA meeting has been summoned days after a major terrorist attack on a passenger train in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district in Balochistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both of which share borders with neighbouring Afghanistan, have faced the brunt of the terrorist attacks — with both provinces accounting for over 96% of terrorist attacks and deaths in Pakistan in 2024 as per a Global Terrorism Index 2025 report.
Dozens of militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), blew up a railway track and assaulted Jaffar Express on Tuesday, carrying more than 440 passengers — who were taken hostage.
The security forces, after a complex clearance operation, neutralised 33 attackers and rescued the hostage passengers.
Apart from five operational casualties, as many as 26 passengers were martyred by the terrorists, of which 18 were security personnel belonging to the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps (FC), three were officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments, and five were civilians.
Also, three FC personnel were martyred in the militants’ attack targeting a picket before the train ambush.
The country has witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks since Taliban rulers returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.
In January 2025, the terror attacks surged by 42% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think tank.
