Govt to hold in-camera briefing on Operation Azm-e-Istehkam

ISLAMABAD: Responding to the criticism of opposition, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Nazeer Tarar on Sunday informed the National Assembly that the government would arrange an in-camera briefing in the parliament for the lawmakers on security issues, including Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.

Speaking on the NA floor, Tarar while referring to the leadership of the Sunni Ittehad Council said: “Your Prime Minister [Imran Khan] has not attended the in-camera briefing on security issues in the parliament, but my Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the cabinet, will attend the in-camera briefing.”

The minister said that the government will call an in-camera session to take all the political parties into confidence on the country’s security issues.

Azam Nazeer Tarar said that in the past the prime minister was refusing to sit with the opposition, but Prime Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif wants to take all the political parties into confidence and work together on the issue.

He said that the resolution and legalisation presented in the Parliament are significant for national security and defence which is not only an issue of the government.

The minister said that the sanctity of the house is very important which all the stakeholders want to take care of, and the government wants to take all the political parties along with it.

The announcement came after a meeting of the Central Apex Committee of National Action Plan, which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“The prime minister approved a reinvigorated and re-energised national counterterrorism campaign through the launching of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, with the consensus of all stakeholders including the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, symbolising the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement issued after the meeting.

‘Parliament must be taken into confidence’

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan demanded that if there is any operation — whether intelligence-based or full-fledged— it is necessary to take this Parliament into confidence.

Speaking to media outside Parliament House, Gohar alleged that lawmakers from his party were denied the chance to speak and therefore staged a walkout in protest.

He asserted that no matter how empowered a committee was, it could not supersede Parliament and that there were “rules” according to which the apex committee should approve the plans for ‘Operation Azm-e-Istehkam’.

For his part, PTI leader Asad Qaiser also demanded if any decision has been taken regarding an operation, then it be brought before Parliament and Parliament be taken into confidence.