National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has called an in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) on March 18, following a surge in terrorist attacks, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Sunday, the meeting has been scheduled for 1:30 PM at the National Assembly Hall on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The military leadership is set to brief parliamentary leaders on the prevailing security situation. The session will be attended by representatives from political parties in the National Assembly and Senate, as well as relevant cabinet members.
This crucial meeting comes just days after a major terrorist attack on a passenger train in the Bolan district of Balochistan. The attack, carried out by militants affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), resulted in the deaths of 26 passengers, including 18 security personnel. The security forces successfully conducted a clearance operation, neutralizing 33 attackers and rescuing hostages.
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have remained the most affected by terrorism, accounting for over 96% of attacks and deaths in Pakistan in 2024, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025 report.
The rise in terror incidents has been linked to the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021. According to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), terrorist attacks in January 2025 surged by 42% compared to the previous month.
The upcoming security briefing aims to address these concerns and formulate strategies to counter the escalating threat of terrorism in Pakistan.
