The in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Tuesday concluded with a consensus on tackling all terrorist groups with an “iron hand.”
Convened to deliberate on resurgent terrorism, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the meeting included the participation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif; Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir; Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt. Gen. Asim Malik; the chief ministers of all four provinces; and various parliamentarians. The PTI and members of its opposition alliance, however, skipped the meeting.
The meeting commenced with a briefing on the country’s overall security situation by the military leadership. An exchange of views by parliamentarians followed. In an official declaration issued after the huddle, the lawmakers strongly condemned recent incidents of terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Expressing solidarity with the affected families, they stressed on the need for consensus and unified political commitment to combat terrorism with full force.
Lauding the valor and professionalism of the security forces, the participants reiterated the country’s unwavering resolve to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They stressed on a strategic and concerted political resolve to counter terrorism with the full might of the state.
Additionally, read the statement, the meeting emphasized the need to implement the National Action Plan (NAP) in full and advance Vision Azm-e-Istehkam to dismantle terrorist networks, counter their logistic support, and dismantle the nexus between terrorism and crime.
A repeated refrain, per the statement, was the use of social media by terrorist groups to spread anti-state propaganda and recruit followers. It called for a mechanism to tackle digital networks of terrorists.
The huddle stressed that the entire nation with the armed forces, police, Frontier Constabulary and intelligence agencies in the war against terrorism. It reaffirmed the resolve that no institution, individual or group working in collusion with hostile forces would be allowed to harm the peace and stability of the country.
The meeting’s participants also expressed regret over the boycott of the briefing by “some” political forces in an apparent reference to the PTI and its allies. They vowed to continue the process of consultation with all stakeholders.
The classified meeting follows a dangerous surge in terrorism across Pakistan, with the country ranking as the second-most affected country by terrorism according to the Global Terrorism Index 2025.
Army Chief’s Views
A separate statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations shared the contents of the Army chief’s address to the gathering. Gen. Munir stressed on addressing governance gaps to tackle terrorism, emphasizing the need to make Pakistan a “hard state” to achieve peace and stability.
“How long will we continue to fill governance gaps with the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army and the blood of martyrs?” he questioned. “We need better governance to make Pakistan a hard state,” he said. “How long will we continue to sacrifice countless lives under the model of a soft state?”
Underscoring the need for a holistic counterterrorism approach beyond military operations, he said all elements of national power must work in unison. “This is a war for our survival and that of our future generations,” he said.
The COAS also called for national unity. “To safeguard Pakistan, we must speak with one voice, rising above political and personal interests, and adopt a unified narrative,” he said.
In a seeming reference to the PTI’s refusal to attend the briefing without the participation of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Gen. Munir said there is no agenda, movement or individual greater than national security. “If this country exists, then we exist. Therefore, nothing is more important to us than the security of the country,” he said.
He also asserted that political forces remained committed to national security. “Those who think they can weaken Pakistan through these terrorists should take today’s message: We stand united and will not only defeat them but also their facilitators,” he said.