ISLAMABAD: Days after the hijacking of the Jaffar Express, which resulted in at least 31 casualties, the government announced it was convening an in-camera meeting of a parliamentary panel on national security to discuss the issue of terror attacks in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to convene the security huddle at Parliament House tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:30pm.

Meanwhile, the government is also said to be mulling a massive operation against the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other terrorist organisations, involved in growing terror attacks in the province.

A source in the National Assembly told Dawn on Sunday that since no parliamentary committee on security was formed, therefore, members of the Standing Committees on defence and foreign affairs from the National Assembly, federal cabinet members, chief ministers of the four provinces and leaders of all parliamentary parties or their representatives will attend the huddle.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir will also join the briefing.

According to a statement issued by the PM Office, military leadership will apprise the participants of the current security situation in Balochistan and KP.

Meanwhile, one of the PM’s aides, Rana Ahsan Afzal, said that the government will soon also convene a Multi-Party Conference (MPC) to discuss the security situation.

Speaking to DawnNewsTV on Sunday, he expressed the hope that the government would invite all political forces and stakeholders to the conference.

He also revealed plans to carry out a massive operation against terrorists in Balochistan, but did not offer any details.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025