ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has scheduled an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on March 18, following a surge in terror incidents, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) on Sunday, the NA speaker arranged the closed-door session for Tuesday at 1:30 PM on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The meeting will take place in the National Assembly Hall, where the military leadership will provide a comprehensive briefing to the parliamentary committee on the prevailing security situation.
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 participate in the discussions.
The meeting comes in the wake of a major terrorist attack on a passenger train in the Mushqaf area of Balochistan’s Bolan district. The attack, carried out by dozens of militants affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), resulted in the derailment of the Jaffar Express, which was carrying more than 440 passengers.
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Militants blew up a railway track and took passengers hostage. After a complex clearance operation, security forces successfully neutralized 33 attackers and rescued the hostages. However, the attack claimed the lives of 26 passengers, including 18 security personnel from the Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps (FC), three officials from Pakistan Railways and other departments, and five civilians. Additionally, three FC personnel were martyred in a militant attack on a picket before the train ambush.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, have borne the brunt of terrorist attacks, accounting for over 96% of such incidents and casualties in Pakistan in 2024, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 report.
Pakistan has seen a sharp increase in terror attacks since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021. Data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) shows that in January 2025 alone, terrorist incidents surged by 42% compared to the previous month.
Given the worsening security situation, the government is taking measures to curb militant activities and strengthen national security. The upcoming parliamentary meeting is expected to review ongoing counterterrorism strategies and explore new policy measures to address security threats.
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