ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body will receive briefing on Wednesday on the activities of India’s intelligence agency in Pakistan for the first time since the last month’s arrest of an Indian spy from Balochistan.

The Senate’s standing committee on defence, headed by Mushahid Hussain Sayed of the PML-Q, will also review affairs of the DHAs (Defence Housing Authorities) in parts of the country, according to the agenda of the meeting.

The matters related to the DHAs had been raised by PPP Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar in previous meetings and the agenda says that the committee will be briefed on DHAs “with reference to queries” by Senator Babar.

It is also set to “review” the mid-year budget of the defence ministry, besides considering a report of a sub-committee on the establishment of a cantonment in Khawazakhela area of Swat.

Talking to Dawn, Mushahid Hussain said the meeting was important as it would provide an opportunity for the committee to receive a briefing from the ministry officials on the activities of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in the context of the recent capture of Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The panel, he said, was also expected to be updated on the progress made so far by the authorities after the disclosures made by Jadhav.

The Inter Services Public Relations had released on March 29 a confessional video statement of Jadhav admitting to foment terrorism in Balochistan and Karachi. He had been arrested red-handed by law-enforcement agencies in the first week of March while infiltrating into Pakistan from the Saravan border area of Balochistan with Iran.

In his confession, he stated that his mission in Pakistan was to hold meetings with Baloch insurgents and carry out activities with their collaboration.

Replying a question, Mushahid Hussain said he was expecting a briefing either from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif or the defence secretary on the issue.

To another question, he said so far he had not received any request from any side for holding an in-camera meeting of the committee. But the request can be considered if made by the military authorities before start of the meeting.

About the establishment of a cantonment in Swat, Mushahid Hussain said the committee had taken up the matter after receiving petitions from the local people, who were unhappy over the location of the proposed cantonment.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2016