PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has threatened to boycott the in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) unless its leaders are granted a meeting with incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.
In a statement following a late-night meeting, PTI’s political committee emphasized that their participation in the crucial National Assembly session was conditional on this demand. The stance follows a decision by the opposition alliance, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), and other parties, including BNP-M and MWM, to boycott the session.
PTI leaders urged the party’s central leadership to seek permission from Khan before attending the session. After deliberations, the party reaffirmed its position, with PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stating that an emergency political committee meeting had unanimously decided against participation unless access to Khan was granted.
Sources revealed internal objections within PTI over the submission of names for the session, with concerns that Chief Whip Aamir Dogar had made the decision without consulting key committees. However, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is expected to attend independently, representing a province that has been severely impacted by terrorism.
Previously, NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had sought PTI’s participation, leading the party to nominate 14 representatives, including Barrister Gohar Khan, Asad Qaiser, and Zartaj Gul. On Monday, Dogar met with Speaker Sadiq, demanding a three-member delegation be allowed to meet Khan for guidance before the security briefing. While assurances were given, no meeting materialized.
Key Security Briefing Amid Rising Terrorism
The in-camera session, scheduled for Tuesday at 11 AM, will feature military officials briefing lawmakers on Pakistan’s security landscape in light of escalating terrorist threats. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, stated that discussions would focus on countering militancy and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a “proxy” state.
The session follows a deadly terrorist attack on the Jaffar Express in Balochistan, where militants blew up a railway track and took hostages. Security forces eventually neutralized 33 attackers, but 26 people, including 18 military personnel, lost their lives.
Director General ISPR Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry later confirmed that the attackers had links to handlers in Afghanistan, reinforcing Islamabad’s calls for Kabul to curb cross-border militancy. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 report supports these concerns, showing a significant rise in terrorism-related incidents in Pakistan.
During a televised interview, Sanaullah accused the Afghan interim government of sheltering militants funded by India. He asserted that Pakistan’s military leadership, including Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, would pursue a multi-dimensional strategy and seek civilian input on handling security threats.
With Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan suffering over 96% of Pakistan’s terrorist attacks in 2024, the government aims to implement decisive counterterrorism measures. The meeting may also see input from Nawaz Sharif if required, as Pakistan navigates a complex security landscape.
