Lawmakers from across parties raised concerns over militancy and policy during a heated NA session
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Tuesday continued debate on the security situation in Balochistan, with lawmakers across party lines questioning counterterrorism responses, governance failures and policy direction, while unanimously adopting resolutions condemning terrorism and expressing solidarity with the armed forces and victims.
Opening the debate, JUI-F MNA Alia Kamran raised questions over official claims related to recent security operations, asking why responses to attacks were delayed and what happened to the remaining terrorists if 177 had been killed. Stressing that her party did not support terrorism in any form, she called for an examination of the factors pushing women in Balochistan towards suicide attacks and urged the state to protect the province’s youth by addressing the root causes of militancy.
MQM-P MNA Sofia Saeed said there should be no leniency for terrorists or for those who sympathise with them, adding that national unity against terrorism required an effective local government system.
Highlighting socioeconomic grievances, JUI-F MNA Usman Badini said hostile forces had filled the vacuum created by the state’s failure to provide basic rights and opportunities to Balochistan’s youth. He questioned disparities in electricity supply, access to scholarships under CPEC and the state’s response to coordinated attacks across multiple districts. He said denying rights would provoke reaction and pointed to the lack of basic infrastructure, including fuel facilities, across much of the province.
The debate intensified as opposition MNA and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa could not be addressed through condemnations alone. He argued that when the state failed to act responsibly and ignored public grievances, alienation followed.
Referring to political developments, he questioned the message being sent by the continued imprisonment of what he described as the country’s most popular leader and said public trust in institutions, including the judiciary, was eroding.
Qaiser also pointed to what he termed political double standards, questioned foreign policy priorities and urged dialogue with neighbouring countries, including Afghanistan. He said the opposition supported the National Action Plan but demanded inclusion and confidence-building on security policy.
Read: Terror spike triggers call for troop surge in Balochistan
MNA Ijazul Haq, speaking later, questioned the effectiveness of measures against oil smuggling, asking how fuel continued to travel from border regions to major cities despite the presence of security forces. He alleged foreign involvement in Balochistan, raised concerns over the supply of weapons to terrorists and called for accountability over the use of development funds and the province’s share under the NFC Award.
Recalling past insurgencies, Haq referred to military operations and reconciliation efforts in earlier decades, arguing that inclusive policies and general amnesties had previously resulted in prolonged peace. He urged the formation of a national consultative committee to address the crisis and called on the government to revisit its strategy.
Following the debate, the House unanimously adopted a resolution condemning recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan, describing them as inhumane crimes targeting innocent civilians, including women and children. The resolution praised the armed forces, law enforcement agencies, the Balochistan government and civil administration for their response, expressed solidarity with the families of martyrs and the injured, and called for zero tolerance and decisive action against terrorist networks.
The resolution stated that available evidence in multiple incidents pointed to external sponsorship, raised concerns over India’s alleged role and called for a coordinated national response integrating political, diplomatic, military, intelligence and legal measures. It stressed that the fight against terrorism required cross-party unity and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to public safety and national security.
Separately, the assembly also unanimously passed a resolution on Kashmir Solidarity Day, reaffirming Jammu and Kashmir as an international dispute to be resolved in line with UN Security Council resolutions. The House condemned human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, rejected India’s unilateral actions of August 5, 2019, welcomed recent debates in the British parliament on the issue and urged the international community to play an active role in resolving the dispute.
