Islamabad, March 18, 2025: The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) held a high-level in-camera session on Tuesday to assess the country’s security situation amid a surge in terrorist attacks. The meeting, which lasted over six hours, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating terrorism with full force.
The session was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and other senior political and military leaders. Chief ministers of all four provinces, including Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti, and KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, were also present. Governors and Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) from all provinces participated as well.
However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) withdrew its participation at the last minute, making its attendance conditional on a meeting with its imprisoned founder. BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, though invited, also chose not to attend.
The committee strongly condemned the recent surge in terrorist activities and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families. It also praised the armed forces and law enforcement agencies for their valor in counterterrorism operations and reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to eliminate terrorism in all its forms.
The committee urged immediate implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) and Azm-e-Istahkam strategy to dismantle terrorist networks, cut off their logistical support, and sever ties between terrorism and organized crime.
A key discussion point was the increasing misuse of social media by terrorist organizations for recruitment, propaganda, and attack coordination. The committee emphasized the need for stricter controls to counter these digital threats.
Reaffirming full national support for the armed forces, police, Frontier Constabulary, and intelligence agencies, the committee warned that no individual, group, or institution colluding with hostile forces would be allowed to undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability.
The meeting also called for national consensus on counterterrorism efforts, stressing that security policies should remain above political divisions.
The urgent security meeting followed last week’s Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) attack in Bolan district. Militants targeted train tracks and took over 440 passengers hostage in a remote mountain pass. Security forces rescued the hostages and killed 33 attackers during the operation. However, 26 passengers and four security personnel lost their lives before the rescue mission was completed.
This attack, along with rising terrorism statistics, underscores Pakistan’s growing security challenges, further heightening the urgency of a unified national strategy to combat terrorism.
