In-camera PCNS meeting: National security issues, talks with TTP to be discussed

A total of 125, including tri-services chiefs, politicians and 13 officials, will participate

The sixth in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) will be held today where military leadership will give a briefing to the participants on matters of national security including talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Tri-services chiefs, security agencies heads, senior assembly and senate members of standing committees on Defence, Ministry of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Interior, Kashmir Affairs and Health along with the National Security Division’s Federal Secretariat will participate in the meeting.

The opposition leader, federal ministers, chief ministers of all provinces, president and prime minister of Azad Kashmir are also invited to the meeting.

According to the agenda of the meeting issued by the National Assembly secretariat, 125 people including four unelected politicians and 13 top officials of the government have been invited. The meeting would be chaired by the speaker of the National Assembly, Raja Pervez Ashraf.

According to reports, 62 non-members of parliament have been sent special invitations including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl Chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq, National Party President Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

The trio of fathers-sons including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asad Mehmood will participate in proceedings of the meeting.

Earlier, during the budget session, the members of the National Assembly had passed a motion for calling the PCNS meeting.