ISLAMABAD: While the joint sitting of the house will be discussing several key issues today, the six-point agenda issued by the NA secretariat did not enlist the issue of terrorism despite the demand for a discussion on the matter from various sections, politicians and assurances from country’s Defence and Interior Ministers in the last session that the military leadership would be asked to brief the parliament on the security situation in the wake of recent rise in terrorism incidents.
However, it is likely that the members during a debate on the country’s “foreign policy” as mentioned in the agenda, debate the issue.
Agenda items for today
The parliament will discuss today the economic policy, CPEC, population explosion, climate change impact, respect for national institutions, the Jammu and Kashmir issue and foreign policy.
Besides, the House is to approve two bills, including the controversial Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2022.
President Arif Alvi had refused to sign the controversial bill on Jan 1 through which the government had increased the number of union councils (UCs) in Islamabad.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar will also present the Protection of Parents Bill 2022 for passage.
The agenda also contains a traditional resolution in the name of Foreign Minister in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi will move a motion. The discussion on the “national issues will be sought in order to create awareness and building consensus”.
The Resurging Challenge
Earlier, the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a cabinet meeting had said that “Terrorism is rearing its head again, the question is who brought them back ?”
His remarks come days later following a suicide blast at a mosque in Peshawar that claimed at least 101 lives. The victims included mostly police officers.
The PM cautioned that the scourge could spread to other parts of the country if immediate steps were not taken. Over the past few months, terrorism has been resurging in the country, especially in KP and Balochistan.
The premier had said that citizens from Peshawar to Karachi had questions about rising terrorism in the country.
“Everyone is asking who brought them back. What happened? How can peace be destroyed? How can Khyber Pakhtunkhwa go back into the hands of terrorists?”
