Leaders hold ‘frank discussion’ behind closed doors – Newspaper

ISLAMABAD: As leaders from almost all political parties — minus the opposition — came together at the Parliament House to take stock of the wave of terrorism that has surged over recent months, the use of Afghan soil by militants to launch attacks in Pakistan featured prominently during the discussion.

Interestingly, neither the PCNS communique nor the army chief, whose comments were shared with the media by the ISPR, mentioned the role of the Afghan Taliban in sheltering the TTP on Afghan soil. However, the issue did come up in speeches made by lawmakers, with Maulana Fazlur Rehman offering to act as a mediator, according to sources.

The high-level security huddle — which was off-limits for the media — was attended by the civilian and military leaders, and came days after more than 30 people were slain in an attack on a train in Balochistan.

Due to unusual security measures, the attendance of employees of the Senate and National Assembly secretariats was quite thin, as only the skeleton staff was allowed in. The moot ended in the evening, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reading out a communique, outlining the decisions taken by the committee in its in-camera huddle.

Lawmakers approach army chief after briefing to ask questions; Fazl offers to mediate with Kabul, Bilawal calls Afghanistan ‘terror hub’

Sitting next to the prime minister was Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, whereas the army chief, General Asim Munir, sat on a separate desk across from lawmakers, with two of his aides — one dressed in plain clothes. Besides, all four chief ministers, the governors, the AJK prime minister, four secretaries (defence, interior, foreign affairs, cabinet), and some senators were also present.

However, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was conspicuous by his absence from the key sitting, especially as civilian law enforcement is his domain.

A participant told Dawn that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, and legislators asked questions from the military leadership about what was happening in Balochistan and KP, and what strategy was being adopted to counter this wave of terrorism.

The army chief also briefed lawmakers on security concerns. After his briefing, parliamentary leaders and KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur also made speeches.

At the end of the meeting, the army chief was surrounded by the legislators, who informally asked him several questions regarding the security situation.

Afghanistan question

In his speech, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazl demanded consistency in the Afghanistan policy and that Pakistan should not become a part of someone else’s wars.

He alluded to the so-called ‘war on terror’, saying the decision to join the US after 9/11 was a blunder. He also offered mediation between Islamabad and Kabul to normalise relations between the two neighbours.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Afghanistan had become a hub of terrorists. He was of the view that the terrorism in Pakistan could reach the neighbouring states. The PPP chief said handlers and facilitators behind the recent spike in terrorism must be unveiled.

“It must be investigated who are giving financial assistance to the terrorists,” he said, adding that the world must be informed about the roots of terrorism in Afghanistan and the matter must be highlighted at diplomatic levels.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a statement that Pakistan should take all necessary steps to crush terrorists and even it should go for hot pursuit to hit terrorists in Afghanistan. “Those who are against hot pursuit were talking against the interests of Pakistan,” he added.

Zaki Abbas also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025