Opposition boycott mars in-camera national security briefing

ISLAMABAD: The joint opposition in Parliament boycotted on Monday an in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser presided over the session at Parliament House. National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf briefed the meeting on the country’s security matters.

Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti of JWP,  Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Faisal Sabzwari of MQM, and others were attendance in the session.

The joint opposition last week announced that it would boycott the in-camera meeting of the National Security Committee of Parliament. “The opposition parties have earlier demonstrated a responsible behaviour over the constitution and public interest issues”, it said in statement said.

“Despite absence of the Leader of the House, opposition has attended briefings, and sessions and leaders of the joint opposition and parliamentary leaders have given their proposals and preferred public interest in this disputed period”.

In a tweet on Dec 3, Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry urged the joint opposition to revisit its decision of boycotting the national security briefing.

“It is for the first time in seven decades that any government is presenting its security policy before Parliament. This is not a political matter but a national security issue,” the minister said, asking the opposition to review the decision and earnestly participate in the meeting.